Surviving the final stretch: What Year 12 students really need from parents
As Queensland Year 12 students enter the final stretch before exams, a CQUniversity educational neuroscientist says parents and grandparents can support their teenagers by easing pressure, protecting sleep and creating the conditions for their brains to do their best work.
With final assessments and exams looming, the pressure can build quickly for Year 12 students – and Professor Ken Purnell says the instinct to push teenagers to study harder and for longer may not always be the best approach.
Professor Purnell, CQUniversity’s Head of Educational Neuroscience, says parents don't need to become their child's second teacher or exam supervisor during the final weeks of school.
“At this stage of Year 12, parents don't need to turn their teenager into a study machine,” Professor Purnell said.
“What students need most is a calm environment, good sleep and someone who reminds them that their worth isn't determined by an exam result.”
Professor Purnell has taught Year 12 students for many years and previously served on the board overseeing Queensland's Year 11 and 12 curriculum, assessment and certification processes.
His current research examines how young people learn, sleep, focus and cope with technology and artificial intelligence.
He says one of the most important things parents can protect during the final stretch is sleep.
“Sleep isn't time stolen from study – it's part of learning,” Professor Purnell said.
“Sleep allows the brain to consolidate and store information from revision. An extra hour of exhausted study late at night may be far less valuable than an extra hour of sleep.”
Teenagers' biological clocks also naturally shift later, making early starts particularly challenging when students have been studying or scrolling late into the night.
Professor Purnell recommends keeping the final hour before bed free from study and phones where possible.
Put down the phone – without becoming the phone police
With social media and other apps deliberately designed to keep users engaged, Professor Purnell says phones can easily eat into the sleep and concentration students need.
But he says parents don't necessarily need to police every minute of screen time.
“Rather than turning exams into a battle over the phone, make the environment around sleep easier,” he said.
“Suggest putting phones face-down during dinner and keeping them out of the bedroom for the hour before sleep.
“The goal isn't to create another source of conflict. It's to protect the conditions the brain needs to function well.”
Study smarter, not simply longer
Professor Purnell says spending more hours at a desk doesn't automatically translate into more learning.
“Once a student is exhausted, they can spend another hour looking at their notes without actually taking much in,” he said.
One simple way parents or grandparents can help is by asking students to explain something they have been studying.
“If they can explain a concept to you in simple terms, they probably understand it,” Professor Purnell said.
“A quiet, organised workspace and breaking study into manageable pieces can be much more effective than repeatedly asking, ‘Have you studied yet?’”
AI can be a study partner – not a shortcut
Professor Purnell says artificial intelligence also has a role to play during the final stretch, provided students use it to think rather than avoid thinking.
“The best use of AI during exam season isn't necessarily to give students answers – it's to give them questions,” he said.
“Students can ask an AI chatbot to quiz them on a particular topic, generate practice questions or explain a difficult concept in a different way.
“But AI can also provide incorrect information in a very confident tone. Students should treat its output like advice from someone who has an opinion on everything – useful, but something that needs to be checked.”
The grandparent advantage
While parents can become closely involved in the daily cycle of study, deadlines and exam stress, Professor Purnell says grandparents can offer something different.
“Grandparents can provide a valuable change of perspective,” he said.
“They don't necessarily need to ask, ‘How did you go?’ or ‘How much studying have you done?’
“Talk about sport, music, food, the garden, what you're watching – anything that reminds the young person that there is a whole life beyond these exams.”
Professor Purnell says unconditional encouragement can be particularly powerful as students approach the finish line.
“Tell them you're proud of the effort they've put in, regardless of the outcome,” he said.
“You can't sit the exam for them. But you can help protect their sleep, keep the home environment calm and make sure they know they don't have to face the final stretch alone.”
