Saudi students take their final exams at the Prince Sultan Educational Complex in Jeddah, Saturday. — SG photo by Amer HilabiBy Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – The period of final exams is a tough one for students across the Kingdom but there are some useful tips that may help reduce the level of stress and anxiety that most students feel during this period. “Hard and serious work coupled with having trust in Allah are the ingredients to success. A student who studied well must depend on Allah and have faith in Him. Performing the daily prayers on time and in the mosque for boys and supplicating to Allah are sure ways to keep the student's spirits high and to dispel anxiety,” said Abdul Fattah Al-Rihali, principal of Al-Radwa High School in Jeddah. “From my long years of experience in working at the school, I discovered that those students who have been attentive in their classes all year long and whose hearts are linked to the mosque and feel close to Allah always excel in their final exams.” Muhammad Al-Salah, a psychologist, explained that worrying excessively is counterproductive and may actually hinder the student's ability to achieve the highest grades. He also urged parents not to add pressure by threatening to withdraw certain privileges or punish their children if they did not get a perfect report card. “Students must acknowledge that the questions on the exam will come from the material that they have covered with their teachers and peers throughout the year and that there is no need for fear. Remain optimistic because if you think positive thoughts, positive things will come to you. Read your subject material thoroughly and rely on Allah to get you through this period,” said Al-Salah. In addition, Al-Salah warned against the common bad habit that most students resort to, which is staying up late at night or even worse, attempting to pull an all-nighter. Lack of sleep will no doubt interfere with the student's concentration and memory recall in the exam room. Fahd Al-Tamimi, principal of the intermediate grades at Dar Al-Dhikr Boys' School in Jeddah, offered some practical tips. “While taking the exam, if you run into a difficult question that you cannot answer, do not stay stumped on that question and avoid wasting too much time on it. Complete your exam and answer all other questions and if you have time, come back to it later.” Al-Tamimi also recommended tackling one question at a time and answering it to the best of one's knowledge before moving on, rather than reading all the questions on the exam paper before starting to answer the questions. Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid, a well-known scholar, advised students to be diligent on performing their obligatory prayers on time and not to postpone their prayers, using studying as an excuse. Working hard, studying well, and fulfilling religious obligations such as prayers and kindness to parents will surely lead to success, he said. Al-Munajjid also suggests choosing a quiet place to study and writing down important points from each lesson. “Stay away from cheating in exams and in all areas of your life. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: ‘The one who cheats (or deceives) is not one of us (Muslims)'. Cheating is an unlawful route to getting undeserved marks or certificates and its rewards will be short lasting and false,” said Al
