Directed Writing Question - SPM 2001

 

Question: You find that many of your friends are under a lot of pressure. They spend most of their time studying and appear to suffer from stress. Write an article for your school newsletter on how to cope with stress. Include the following points: - Regular exercise - Hobbies - Plan a timetable - Work in groups - Balanced meals - Enough sleep - Study skills - Make a check-list - Seek advice - Games - Talk to your family - Listen to music You should use the all points given above and add two new points of your own. When writing the article, you should remember: - to give a title - that your readers are mainly students - to include all the points given - to add two new points of your own - to write in paragraphs (35 Marks) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Answer

Tips on Coping with Stress for Students

Stress is a word that is closely associated to students like us who are studying for our SPM examination. Stress comes from our family and teachers who are pressuring us to do well, as well as from the competition among our friends to excel. However, there is no way out; we have to find ways to overcome with stress. Firstly, we must make time for exercise. Sitting and studying for hours can add more stress, so going for walks or jogging will do us good. Having hobbies such as stamp collecting or playing music will help to relax our tensed mind. For all these activities, you need to have a timetable for studying and relaxing. Studying in groups is a good idea. You can discuss what you do not know with your friends and motivate each other to study Eating a balanced meal is essential to cope with stress. We need the nutrition and energy to study. You also must have enough sleep. Do not cut on your sleeping hours, studying too late into the night and walking up early. You will be tired to concentrate in class. You also must practice good study skills. Making notes and mind – mapping are good studying techniques. Make a checklist that helps you to monitor how far you are with revision. If you feel distressed, seek advice from your teacher or counsellor. Go for outdoor games such as badminton or tennis to release your tension and get away from books for a while. Talk to your family members if you think they are pushing you too much to study. Listen to music that makes you feel light and easy. If you have difficulty in certain subjects, go for private tuition to get some assistance. Spend equal time for all the subjects. We tend to spend more time on our favourite subjects and less time on others. This will affect our SPM grades. I hope you take heed of my tips and wish you all the best in the coming SPM examination. Written by: Mohammad Firdaus bin Abdul Rahim Form 5 Cromium