
05/07/2025
TITLE: Exam season: survival guide
BY CAROL CHIKONDO, KAMWALA PRESS CLUB
The Kamwala Secondary School Pupils are no strangers to the pressure that comes with exams. As Exam season approaches, the atmosphere changes - the chatter becomes quieter, study groups multiply, and sleepless nights increase.
"I sometimes study until midnight, then wake at 4 a.m. to continue," Tangulani Nyirenda, a Grade 12 pupil. "It's like my brain never rest," like many others. She balances school work, home responsibilities, and the fear of failure.
Exam pressure comes from different sources - high expectation from parents, competition among classmates, and the fear of not making it to university. For some, it becomes too much. "Some pupils stop coming to school; others cry after test," said one of the Grade 12 teachers. "We try to support them with counselling but many suffer in silence."
However, not all is gloom. The school has introduced extra revision sessions and encourages pupils to form study groups, which are helping ease the stress. The Kamwala's library is now busier than ever with pupils helping each other prepare.
Experts advice pupils to avoid last minute cramming, get enough sleep and talk to someone when feeling overwhelmed as one of the grade twelve pupil wisely said, ''A calm mind remembers more than a stressed one.''
at the end of the day exams are just one part of the journey. And at the kamwala the support system is growing stronger ensuring no pupils face the pressure alone.