9th Skill of Christmas: Wisdom
We chatted to Libbla about her advice for children and teenagers today, and why she’d choose our Calm. Clear. Confident. Exam Preparation course…
Which wider skills do you feel are most important for young people today?
I do feel having written the book that understanding and communicating are key skills in life. It is easy to tick something off without really, truly understanding what it means. Communication comes in different forms: speaking up, being kind in communicating, letting yourself open up and talk to someone about anything that is bothering you. You may have different people you turn to for different issues, you can’t get everything you need from one person, but communicate you must. We all must!
What is your advice for teenagers revising for exams?
For young people, revising is such a big part of life. I encourage anyone taking exams to remind themselves that prepared, structured revision can be fun - and remember, different individuals have different ways of learning, so finding what works best for them is important. My top pieces of advice are:
- Planning and preparing are key
- Get comfy and ensure you can focus, away from distraction
- Remember to take small breaks, a short walk outside - then back to it!
- Don’t overdo it and if you get stuck, move on and come back to the sticky bit later!
- Ask, ask, ask. Never be frightened to ask if you are stuck, it shows courage
What is your advice to those worrying about exams?
In short, worrying about exams is not helpful to you. Dealing with the worry is essential. Keeping it bottled up won’t help worrying. If you are anxious about exams, talk to a friend or tutor and share your worries. Perhaps you could revise with a friend or parent? Teaming up on exam revision can work wonders.
What is your top tip for any child revising over Christmas?
Revising over Christmas again is all about planning. Know how much you have to do and think about how you would like to get through it. You may prefer to do a lot before Christmas Day so you can enjoy the time after more. Then you can recap it all for a day or two before school starts to refresh. Alternatively, you might benefit best from a little each and every day.
Either way, give yourself a whole 2 days off on Christmas & Boxing Day to completely get away from the books/screens.
Which Kings Tutors Club course would you choose this Christmas?
“Calm. Clear. Confident." would be my choice. I’d do it at the beginning of the holidays - then you can plan out your revision and enjoy your time at Christmas.