Maria Carolina Martins
Sophie Wynkoop
The month of February can have a multitude of meanings to different people. Some see this time as the perfect opportunity to pursue their romantic interests, while others just want to stay warm and bear the unpredictable weather we usually face in Japan around this time. For Saint Maur’s Sophomores and Seniors, it’s also the last chance to cram their studies and prepare for their upcoming mock IGCSE and IB exams. From balancing extracurriculars to devising effective study techniques, the mock IGSCE and IB exams have surely kept our sophomores and seniors busy this February.
One sophomore, Giorgia (G10), has been preparing for her upcoming mock IGCSE exams, declaring that “it’s been really busy and stressful.” Many share Giorgia’s view and a certain comfort can be found in the fact that many students are currently undergoing similar experiences. Lima (G10), who is also taking mocks soon, concurred: “It’s definitely tiring, I feel as though I am actively cutting out distractions, so I can study more but I’m not sure I can describe it properly.”
Seniors face similar struggles. The IB is considered by many to be a heavily content-based course, which combines two years’ worth of learning into two or three papers per subject. The mocks are very important in their academic lives and may have a direct impact on their future, as colleges may often consider internal grades when accepting a student into their programs. When asked about feelings before and after the mocks, Yura (G12) mentioned feeling
“really stressed” also highlighting the fact that the official IB orals happened the week before and students “weren’t given much time to study so [she] didn’t know where or what to start with.” Rio (G12) had similar worries, feeling very nervous because she “wasn’t prepared enough” which she later also justified by the lack of time to prepare.
After each mock, a common feeling among seniors was a relief, as they finished one more 2 hour paper and could narrow down the amount of content being actively kept in their short-term memory. Yura said she felt “accomplished as [she] finished each test and a little more relieved.” While finishing the process may bring a happy feeling of well-done duty, some other sentiments may come to the surface.
As this big stage of their senior year is left behind, some may also feel the weight of their inevitably changing futures as Seniors approach their graduation date. Yura reported feeling “so much better and happy that the busiest part of senior year is over.” While at the same time experiencing some nostalgia as she realized “the thought of graduating becoming more real” and that she is now “trying to enjoy every last moment as a senior.”
Because mocks are meant to be taken all within the shortest amount of time, students often have to brace more than one exam per day with little space between each subject. This highly demanding period with peak amounts of stress creates the perfect environment for the development of burnout. Balancing life and academics is essential to avoid this situation, but may often be a difficult job for students. When asked about the harmony between revising and participating in leisure activities, both Giorgia and Lima have struggled to maintain a stable balance. “Right now, I’m not balancing, only studying, because I procrastinated a bit before,” Giorgia admitted. “I study around 4 to 5 hours a night,” she added.
Similarly, Seniors have many priorities unrelated to the mocks, such as sports, extracurricular activities, and college applications. With a supportive environment, it becomes easier to balance things out. Having friends to study with, going to different studying environments, and still having some form of entertainment and fun in between study sessions is crucial in performing better and staying grounded during this time. Yura mentioned that some days in between mocks, she decided to make some time so she could “go out to practice soccer or just chill”. Resting is just as much of an important part of the preparation as studying, and learning not to push yourself so hard can help a lot. As Yura puts it, “It’s important to take breaks.”
There are a variety of ways that students like to study and prepare for their mocks. Giorgia recommended that students use all of their materials, whether that be textbooks, handwritten notes, or the Internet. “For me, I read over my notes, mark or highlight them, and memorize them” This strategy is tried and true, and seems to work for most. Lima suggests that students “start early, and focus on the topics [they] need to improve on first.” For studying math specifically, both Giorgia and Lima like to repeat practice problems countless times. Lastly, Lima says to “remember it’ll be over eventually, and then you can do whatever you want to for the break afterward.”
Seniors also gave some insight into their study methods. Rio’s strategy included rewriting and even rewriting her notes in separate notebooks and highlighting the concepts she needed to prioritize or memorize. Yura on the other hand gave us a tip – she downloaded a study log app called Focustraveller. Describing the app she mentioned that it tracks your study time while showing characters climbing a mountain, which in turn helped her to not get distracted by the phone, and seeing the time spent per subject gave her motivation to continue.
Anxiety is increasingly common among all students. Ignoring stress is also something that many students are guilty of, including Giorgia. “I don’t manage it [stress] at all” Of course, there are also some benefits of stress. Giorgia, for example, uses her anxiety as a motivator for working harder. “When I’m nervous, I study to make me feel more prepared,” she shares. “If I know everything, it calms my nerves.” Lima tries to manage her anxiety by organizing her thoughts, “I try to know what I’m revising for the day. I can only study when I’m calm so I guess I manage my stress and anxiety by wanting to know that no matter the result of my exams, I tried my best given whatever circumstances I was in.”
When questioned about the value of the mocks as a preparation for the actual exams and what they plan to do differently for the IB examinations, Seniors mentioned the mocks had some value, acting as practice or a form of revision, since the content is going to be mostly the same while also mimicking the conditions of the actual examinations and showing what students should expect. Mocks can also give a sense of where students stand in each subject, revealing tentative grades that may indicate which areas should be prioritized.
IB and IGCSE mocks mark a big step in students’ academic careers. During this challenging process, Saint Maur’s Sophomores and Seniors had to work hard to achieve good results. From balancing extracurriculars to combating stress, the students share common experiences of tight schedules and focused dedication. After the completion of these mocks, we hope students achieved their desired scores and also learned important things about themselves, their capabilities, and strengths and weaknesses when it comes to such examinations and that this process may help them exceed expectations when facing the actual exams at the end of this school year. Best of luck to our Seniors and Sophomores!
Maria Carolina Martins, Sophie Wynkoop