Students felt they were hitting a brick wall as exams loom and study spaces become crowded – so the Central Otago Youth Council members came up with a solution.

Antonia Edmonds is in Year 13 at Dunstan High, heading for university study next year, and currently a member of the youth council. She said the council had started discussing the problem of quiet spaces suitable for study last year, but it was this year that the problem had become much more relevant.

“Last year the study spaces and library at school were getting really crowded leading up to exams.

“It’s so hard when you’re surrounded by friends, people going out to get coffee, popping back with hot chips, and all that busyness when you’re trying to study.”

They had tried the public library, but the wi-fi was not available for the lengths of time needed.

“We identified that students needed a space which could be quiet, without distractions, plus a really good wi-fi connection so students could work.

“We realised our youth centre here in Alexandra had couches, space and unlimited wi-fi, so we thought why don’t we set up our own study space there and give it a try.”

Roll on a year, and Antonia said stress levels were even higher leading up to exams, with everything that had happened in 2020.

“Some of us thrived with learning online during lockdown, but a lot of us, including me, found it really challenging with the isolation and the stress of what was going on.”

The youth council decided to do something practical to help.

Antonia Edmonds is one of the CO Youth Council members who saw a problem and found a workable solution to give students space to study.

They built on last year’s successful solution and moved to make the youth centre available as a study space for the increased number of students they anticipated would need it this year.

“It had worked well for a small number last year; we had it open three or four hours a day, between exams or just before them.

“It meant people could come and prepare, and had somewhere quiet to go after morning exams while they waited for the afternoon ones.

“We all found it was really helpful.”

With the ground-work laid last year, and the youth council spreading the word, Antonia said they were expecting to be able to help a lot more students this year.

“The coronavirus set us back quite a bit.

“Some people got behind on their work, we got less work from our teachers than if we’d been at school, plus we’ve had less time at school, and that’s all led to the time we’ve got to learn external material being very condensed.

“For example in maths, we’ve only had three weeks of school time to learn a whole external, and that’s the case in most classes.

“Because it’s so rushed, we all have a lot more material that we have to cover outside of class time this year.”

Antonia said there was normally time set aside in class before exams to go over material and ask the teachers questions. This year they had the same amount to learn for exams, but less time in which to learn it.

“This year we’re learning material right up until we go into exams, so there’s no time for review.

“That’s why it’s so essential this year to have spaces where we can just go and study without any distractions, and people can go there for an extended period of time if they need, just to research and go over everything.

“It’s a major stressor this year.”

Antonia said they were hoping to open the study space at the youth centre in Alexandra early in term four, so students could study for mock exams.

COVID-19 may have thrown them a learning challenge, but Central Otago students have responded by finding a practical solution for themselves.

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