It’s that time of year where the revision timetables are out, the highlighter pens are at the ready and many a head is in many a hand, looking at the never-ending list of bullet points and spider diagrams to remember.
Whether it’s GCSE’s, A-levels, Finals or just end of year exams, even the Hermione Grangers amongst us find exams overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. As parents, grandparents, god-parents, siblings and friends, we just want our learnéd loved ones to do their best. Here’s our Good Luck edit of how to help!
The Good Luck Cards – full of hand-written heartfelt words of wisdom and encouragement. Good luck cards can be read and re-read. Glanced at out of the corner of your eye while revising, they can be just the motivation you need to keep your head down and do one more chapter. Knowing someone is cheering you on, willing you to do your best and loving you regardless makes those heavy hearts swell. Those rushes of love release Oxytocin, which has been proved to help decrease stress and anxiety levels. Here are some of Rambling Wild’s best…
Write your message in the notes and we will happily handwrite your card for you.
Stationery is everything when it comes to revision. Not only does it make a workspace look beautiful and enticing, but in a world of so much online learning, physically holding a pen and writing notes has been proven to be far more effective for knowledge retention. Failing to plan is planning to fail and where better to write your notes and plan your revision, but in a fresh and lovely new notebook. With matching pen.
Jewellery - by its very nature, gifts of jewellery make those receiving it feel precious. This is a gift that can actually be taken into the exam. A good luck charm that, when faced with a tricky question or a mind-blank moment, can be touched, fondled, twirled or stroked to recall all the love and luck sent with it, helping to ground, refocus and get back to the task in hand.
It’s as close as you can get to being in there with them, it’s the shiny cheer leader that reminds them they too can shine bright! And it’ll also be loved, worn and enjoyed once the exams are long-forgotten.
The Salvation of Sleep - brains buzzing with biology, fingers frazzled by fractions, backs hunched over history books – we all know that revising day-in day-out, takes its toll on your body. The most important thing to help you be recharged and ready for another day is a good night’s sleep.
Our Sleep Essentials Set by Norfolk Natural Living includes Aromatherapy Pulse Oil, Worry gemstone, soothing pillow mist and a Botanical Bath Oil. Pillow Mist and Pulse Oil can be bought separately.
Revision Break Yoga – rest plays just as important a role as revision as research shows this is when our brains compress allowing memories of what we just learned to crystallise. Sun salutations, downward dogs and a few minutes of meditation do just the trick to loosen those limbs and ease the over-worked temporal lobe. When it all gets a bit too much, these yoga accessories encourage healthy and timely breaks which are good for the soul, self and study!
Calm me down Cuppa – revision breaks don’t just have to be á la Adrienne. As a nation of tea drinkers, we all know that taking time out for a brew makes us feel more relaxed and reduces our anxiety levels. But in a recent study, nearly half of tea drinkers agreed that after a cuppa they were able to concentrate more and over a third were able to perform better.
So what better good luck gift than one of our gorgeous mugs, arguably the ultimate and most essential revision aide of them all!
Whether you have a super studier or a reluctant reviser, whether you’re constantly nagging them to get back to their books or to take a break; exams represent the end of an era. They are the gateway to a new path and whichever way you decide to wish them good luck, letting them know that you’ll be there for the next part of their journey and love them regardless is the most important gift of all.
