The Mid-Point Moan: The Exam Slump is Real

Welcome to the strange twilight zone that is mid-May - the middle of exam season.  You may be starting to feel like you live with a ghost who only emerges for snacks, sighs a lot, and occasionally mutters something about "how many exams are left?".   Days are counted in exam papers.  Life is looking endlessly bleak.  Hurrah, it’s the mid-point moan: the bit where adrenaline has worn off, motivation is flagging, and no one’s quite sure what day it is (without looking at an exam timetable).

This is the stage of the journey that often gets overlooked. The excitement (or panic) of the first few exams has passed, but the finish line still feels disconcertingly far away.  It's the exam season equivalent of the Wednesday slump - only with crumpled flashcards.

The wobbles are normal.  In fact, they’re expected.

By now, the novelty’s worn off, and the reality of revision, repetition, and exhaustion has kicked in.  If your child seems unusually emotional, distracted, or disengaged - it doesn’t mean they’ve “given up”.  It means they’re in the thick of it.  They’re not failing.  They’re just tired.  A bit of wobble is part of the process.

Help them reset, not restart.

This is a good time to gently suggest a revision tweak.  Not a full overhaul - just a refresh.  They might need shorter bursts, a change of scenery, or a new tactic (mind maps, voice notes, essay deconstruction).  Encouraging one small shift can help them feel less stuck and more in control.

Celebrate what's been done. Loudly.

It’s easy for students to obsess over what’s left, especially when friends are at different stages - and even more so if they can’t help but think they have “messed up”.  Cross off completed exams with a flourish.  Celebrate putting study books on EBay.  Even better - plan a small treat after each major subject is ticked off.

Phones are both friend and foe.

Midway through exams, social media of all flavours can be a double-edged sword, equal parts support and comparison trap.  Encourage screen breaks, but also help them use tech in helpful ways: short YouTube revision clips, podcasts, recording notes aloud, or even timed breaks with a study app.

But, and this is the most important thing to remember, this is a season.  It will end.  That final exam will come (it may even be an anti-climax!).  Imagine the relief of that day. For you - I’m talking to you now - imagine the sheer joy of No-More-Exams.

The middle of exam season isn’t glamorous - but it is where the grit lives.  And with your encouragement, your calm presence, and perhaps a well-timed biscuit, they will get through it.

We’re halfway there.  Keep going.