What can we do to help our Anxious ATAR students?
Over the past couple of months, it has been all about our anxious ATAR students (ATARs). So what can we do to help?
I really do empathise for these young adults. As an academic myself, I know how important it is to have a study plan. This plan includes assignment work and exam preparation to meet deadlines. Usually, we have access to all the resources we need and a big part of this is going to lessons. These lessons not only give us a sense of learning, but also a sense of comradery, where we can lean on other students to helps us. This is also where our friends are, the people that buffer our daily existence. Those relationships are the framework for what our children build their educational experience. For the ATAR student, if education is the foundation of their lives, Covid 19 is the earthquake a measure of 9.9 on the Richter scale. For some of our anxious ATARs, it feels like life is at ground zero and they need to start again.
So what can we do as a family to help?
Firstly, for most of us, this is the first time in our lives we have experienced a pandemic. Be okay with that. Let your anxious ATAR know that COVID-19 is a new experience for everyone.
Empathise with your anxious ATAR. Let them know that you too have the experience of being anxious, and concerned about the future, BUT, that together, as a unit, we will overcome the obstacle together.
Let them know that there are things that we can’t control, and things that we can control. One of the symptoms of an anxious ATAR maybe that need to be in control. So let’s draw their attention to things that they can control.
I can’t emphasis this one enough! Routine, Routine, Routine. As much as possible keep to your normal routines.
Their schedule. All school have a different approach to COVID-19 but every teacher has an email. Set a schedule for you anxious ATAR to regularly keep in contact with their teacher for open communication and updates.
There is a fantastic website called ATAR Notes. This is a brilliant resource. Yes it does have a small monthly fee, but it provides ATAR notes for each subject across the nation. At the moment they are also giving free lectures online of ATAR material.
Organise using a Flash Card App such as Quizzlet (which is free). Is your anxious ATAR telling you they are bored or don’t know what to do? Set aside time in their schedule to utilise one of these Apps or DIY by writing up flash cards of material they have covered in their lessons or better still from ATAR notes, this will not only keep them focussed but reinforce their learning.
Set aside time daily for the anxious ATAR to socially connect. This is essential for their educational and personal development. There are heaps of avenues to do this. More importantly, try to organise study groups, this can be done on ZOOM, Instagram or Facebook. The feeling of isolation is a trigger for depression so ensuring that they set aside time to connect socially and educationally may help to avoid this condition.