Gower College Swansea is adding a cutting-edge twist to exam preparation by expanding its use of virtual reality (VR)—helping students reduce anxiety and build confidence through immersive, lifelike exam experiences ahead of the big day.
Learners can now experience exam rooms and timed assessment scenarios in VR, designed to demystify the unknown, reduce stress triggers, and empower them to feel calm and in control when it matters most.
Learner Engagement and Personal Development Lead at the College, Joshua Jordan, said: “This idea comes from our in-house Digital Peer Mentors, whom alongside Jonathan Parker, digital media lecturer and College VR lead, are filming, developing and delivering this cutting-edge tech for our students.
“Stepping into a virtual exam room ahead of the real thing gives students a powerful sense of familiarity. It helps reduce anxiety by taking away the fear of the unknown and allows them to mentally rehearse success.
“Being able to experience the sights and sounds of the room, find their seat, and understand the layout makes the actual day feel far less daunting. It’s a simple but effective way to boost confidence and put learners back in control.”
Kelly Fountain, Principal of Gower College Swansea, said: "While mental wellbeing is always a priority for us, we're especially proud of the proactive steps we're taking during exam season. These VR experiences help prepare learners in a truly unique way-supporting both emotional resilience and academic readiness.
“We also offer comprehensive, wrap-around support to meet learners wherever they are. From Personal Tutors, Progress Coaches, and in-class lecturer support, to Pastoral Coaches and Student Support Officers providing personalised help, every part of the College is here to support student success. We even host yoga sessions, nature walks, have campus quiet zones, and campus wellbeing dogs, to help reduce stress levels. Wellbeing-specific VR headsets have also been introduced, offering 15 minutes of guided relaxation for students to encourage quality revision breaks.
“It is vital for us as a College, to fully embrace new technology wherever possible, especially when it can have such an significant impact. We have already received positive feedback from learners and I’m looking forward to seeing how we continue to develop the use of VR across the College.”
With over 12,500 learners and more than 1,000 staff, Gower College Swansea continues to lead the way in student support-academically, emotionally, and through the power of technology.
The use of VR headsets plays an important part of the College-wide wellbeing initiative, ‘Just BREATHE’; which returns for a second year and is designed to help learners with exam preparation and stress management.
Just BREATHE offers a memorable acronym to help learners with wellbeing steps during the revision period:
B - Big breath - jump in!
R - Read your notes
E - Explore topics in more detail
A - Ask yourself mock questions
T - Take a break
H - Highlights - recap your knowledge
E - Evaluate - reflect on gaps