HEALTH PLUS:Those repeating the Leaving Cert can be under even more pressure than first time around, writes MARIE MURRAY.
IT IS enough to have to do the Leaving Certificate once but repeating is an entirely different psychological process. It deserves attention and understanding because of this.
Students who must repeat the Leaving Cert usually feel exceptionally stressed. The meagre benefits of having been through the process before are usually outweighed by the greater pressure to succeed second time around.
What we have not yet achieved often assumes elusive and exaggerated magnitude, making the entire event exceptionally stressful.
There are many reasons why a student may have to repeat the Leaving Cert. A student may suffer an accident, physical illness or an injury before or during the exams or they may become stressed out, suffer a panic attack and simply be psychologically unable to proceed.
Sadly a death or serious illness of a family member during the exam may make it impossible to complete the exams.
And then sometimes a student achieves good results but the points are insufficient for his or her chosen third-level course or job.
Repeat students often feel more threatened than first time Leaving Cert students because their self-esteem and academic esteem may be at stake. Repeating puts students out of synchronisation with their peers.
Their classmates have moved to jobs or college or courses a year ago while the repeat student is still a school boy or girl.
There is an enormous psychological gap between having left school and still being in a school uniform, so to speak. It can be hard for the repeat student to feel that he or she can “catch up” with peers and as the Leaving Cert exams approach the fears of not doing so can heighten.
Parents might be surprised about how many repeat students express concern about the additional financial burden on parents when they repeat, particularly if private education is required.
In these credit crunch times, consciousness of finances is heightened for those whose parents have had to make additional financial investment in their education.
Repeat students often feel that expectations of them are higher because they have done 6th year for a second time.
Even from a practical academic perspective, there can be a lack of understanding about the additional stress factor that repeating constitutes, particularly when some of the prescribed material has changed and repeat students have to “forget’’ old material in favour of new texts and appropriate them within a year rather than the usual two-year lead in. This can be confusing.
Many repeat students are also afraid of disappointing or embarrassing their parents if, after a second trial, they do not increase their points. It seems to them that the entire exam is heightened particularly if a younger sibling has “caught up” and is also doing the exam.
In instances where an accident, illness or the death of a parent caused the student to have to repeat, remembrance of this time last year can surface, causing anniversary anxiety and distress.
It is not unusual in these circumstances for students to be fearful that something else catastrophic may befall them and to become hypervigilant with regard to their own safety and health or that of other family members.
Parents can really help repeat students. They can let them know that they are aware of the extra stress of repeating, that their expectations are not unrealistic and they understand some of the disadvantages of doing the exam again.
They can ask the repeat student what supports were helpful last year and if any additional supports are needed now.
In the case of a family bereavement a year earlier it is helpful to remind students sympathetically that it is normal to be upset thinking of “this time last year”.
If the student had had an accident, it is good to reassure them that another one is unlikely and if the student was mentally unable to do the exam parents can remind the student about how sensible he or she was last year not to undertake what they were not ready to do.
Whatever the circumstances, parental reassurance is helpful. Even if the student did not study at all, and that is why the repeat is necessary, they have either learned their lesson for this year or they have still not grown up, in which case admonishments will have as little effect this year as last year and this is not the time for them.
Clinical psychologist Marie Murray is director of the student counselling services in UCD. Her book, Surviving The Leaving Cert: Points for Parents, is published by Veritas.