National Stress Awareness Day 2022: How increased self-belief boosts student success

With Stress Awareness Day coming up on 2 November, it’s crucial to shine a light on the stress students experience and how to manage it. We all know that a confident child tends to be a happier child, however, the three-year disruption to classes has left many children and teens lacking the confidence to speak out in the classroom, burdened by the stress of their fragmented education. According to children’s communication charity, I CAN, the communication skills of 1.5 million British children were knocked back by the pandemic and are at risk of being left behind in permanently. The disruption of in-person interaction in school, isolation while studying, and lack of one-to-one learning has undeniably impacted today’s cohort of students and their stress levels, having direct and negative implications on their academic success. A nationally representative study from MyTutor, the UK’s most trusted tutoring platform, has unveiled that 55% of 18–24-year-olds today have mental health struggles that date back to earlier school experiences and disrupt their learning outcomes today.

Students who raise their hand in class and are most vocal about their struggles is likely to garner more attention from the teacher resulting in better academic achievements. However, parents today are worried that the pandemic has negatively affected their child’s ability to do so, leaving them with increased levels of anxiety and school-related stress than ever before. MyTutor’s study found that over a quarter of parents (28%) worry that lockdown has harmed their child’s ability to interact with others, and a further 25% concerned that their child is so shy, it will hold them back from opportunities in life.

Key Stats:
25% of parents worry that their child is so shy it will hold them back from opportunities in life
28% of parents worry that their child doesn’t find it easy to communicate how they’re feeling
43% agree their child’s self-esteem is linked to the grades they achieved at school and university
59% agree that since COVID-19, their child has fallen out of a routine with regards to their education and their motivation to work has declined
68% agree that their child benefits from one-to-one learning environments, alongside the classroom experience
47% of students said they enjoy learning from a Tutor they can relate to (age, interests, personal experiences, communication styles, etc.)
49% of students said they learn better from people who share a similar life experience to them