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LONDON: Posing as a fortune teller on his YouTube channel, former teacher Waqar Malik tells thousands of followers that he can predict this year’s exam questions.

He is among online study influencers gaining popularity among stressed British teenagers in search of exam success.

But educators and examiners are concerned some pupils are relying too much on online advice.

Malik posts videos on TikTok and YouTube forecasting questions on classic English literature for the UK GCSE school exam taken at 16.

Last year “I predicted the entire paper,” he says on his popular “Mr Everything English” channel.

Malik, who says he is a former assistant head teacher, notes that he is just making an “educated guess,” but educators remain concerned.

“If you are a 15- or 16- year-old doing your GCSEs and you’ve got somebody in your phone who’s telling you ‘this is what the English exam is going to be about’... that is so appealing,” said Sarah Brownsword, an assistant professor in education at the University of East Anglia.

After British pupils sat their exams in May, some complained that Malik’s predictions were wrong.

“Never listening to you again bro,” one wrote, while others said they were “cooked” (done for) and would have to work in a fast food restaurant.

With GCSE results set to be released on August 21, one exam board, AQA, has warned of “increasing reliance on certain online revision channels.”

“Clearly this is an important source of revision and support for students,” it said.

But the examiners want “your interpretation of the texts you have studied, not some stranger’s views on social media.”

Students are overloaded, school leaders say.

“With so much content to cover and revise in every subject it can be completely overwhelming,” Sarah Hannafin, head of policy for the school leaders’ union NAHT, told AFP.

“And so it is unsurprising that young people are looking for anything to help them to cope.”

Malik, whose prediction video has been viewed on YouTube 290,000 times, did not respond to a request for comment.

Brownsword praised TikTok, where she posts grammar videos for student teachers, saying: “You can learn about anything and watch videos about absolutely anything.”

Teachers have always flagged questions that could come up, she said, but predicting exam questions online is “really tricky.”

“But I think there’s a real difference between doing that and doing it on such a scale, when you’ve got thousands or tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers online.”

Other content creators defended such videos, however.

“Those kinds of videos were never to mislead,” said Tilly Taylor, a university student posting TikTok videos with candid revision advice to 100,000 followers.

“I make it very clear in my videos that these are predictions,” based on past papers and examiners’ reports, said Taylor, who appeals to younger viewers with her fashionable eye makeup.

Other content creators sell predicted papers “all the time,” Taylor said, but “I don’t think it’s right.”

Other educational influencers were more in favor.

“If you’re marketing it as a predicted paper, that’s completely fine... you just can’t say guaranteed paper,” said Ishaan Bhimjiyani, 20, who has over 400,000 TikTok followers.

He promoted a site offering an English predicted paper for £1.99 ($2.70) with a “history of 60-70 percent accuracy.”

Predicted papers allow you to “check whether you’re actually prepared for the exam,” said Jen, a creator and former teacher who posts as Primrose Kitten and declined to give her surname.

Her site charges £4.99 for an English predicted paper and includes a video on phrasing to score top marks.

Bhimjiyani, who went to a private school, started posting on TikTok at 16, saying he was “documenting my journey, posting about how I revise.”

“And then it kind of took off.”

He founded an educational influencer agency, Tap Lab, that now represents over 100 bloggers in their mid-teens to mid-20s.

Influencers earn most from paid promotions – for recruiters or beauty or technology brands – which must be labelled as such, he said.

Bhimjiyani made £5,000 with his first such video. Taylor said she recently promoted student accommodation.

No one explained “how do you actually revise,” Taylor said of her school years. So she turned to YouTube for ideas.

“I wanted to help someone like myself,” she said, “who couldn’t necessarily afford to go to private school or have private tuition.”

RIYADH: If you think you can barely stand the scorching summer heat, think about how your pets feel.

The hot months can be a brutal time for stray animals and house pets. Normal body temperature ranges for dogs and cats are higher than for human beings, making them prone to overheating, dehydration, and paw pad burns from hot surfaces.

Arab News spoke to a few pet care centers for their top summer care tips.

Keep pets out of dangerous heat

Albanderey Aloyeadi, CEO Saudi Animal Welfare Society (Refq), said they campaign against leaving pets outdoors or in cars.

Humane World for Animals also advises never to leave your pets in a parked car because temperatures inside a vehicle can rapidly rise to dangerous levels.

Temperatures inside a parked car can rise by almost 11 degrees Celcius within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“During the summer, we make a concerted effort to spread awareness in the community about the dangers of heat for animals,” Aloyeadi said.

This includes educational campaigns on proper hydration and sheltering.

Helping strays

Operationally, Refq increases monitoring of stray animals in urban areas in the summer to make sure they have access to clean water and shade.

They also partner with community members to designate safe feeding zones that help Refq track, feed, and protect stray animals more efficiently.

The Refq mobile app, a volunteer-driven platform, enables users to report animal abuse or neglect, locate animals in need, and facilitate adoptions, operating in collaboration with government agencies.

Adjust routines for cooler hours

“A good rule of thumb is if you can’t place your hand on the pavement outside, then neither can your pet,” said Pawsers Pet Care founder Ali Alriyahi.

Located in Alkhobar and Riyadh, they are a “one-stop shop” for all your pets’ needs.

When the weather starts to heat up, Pawsers employees are careful not to allow their pets outside if the temperature reaches above 32 C, especially if the humidity is high. They limit playtime to indoor activities where a controlled air conditioning unit and circulation system maintains optimal temperature and air quality conditions for the pets.

Outdoor time at Pawsers is during the very early mornings and late evenings and will last only about five minutes, depending on the heat index.

Through their outreach programs, Pawsers has found homes for thousands of abandoned and/or injured cats and dogs, also offering subsidized and discounted prices in services for strays and rescue animals.

Hydration is key

Chez Ayah, a full-service pet center in Riyadh, is known for its individualized approach to dog services.

Founder and owner Ayah Al-Bokhari said: “We’ve added indoor enrichment, supervised pool sessions and — most importantly — a lot of melon. Seriously, a lot of melon. It’s hydrating, safe, and the dogs love it.”

In the summer, Chez Ayah adjusts the entire routine to prioritize cooler hours, starting as early as 5:30 a.m. before the sun rises.

Their in-house park is additionally equipped with more than 10 outdoor AC units and large shaded areas for comfort.

“Every dog’s routine is customized based on their temperament, energy level, and needs,” Al-Bokhari added.

In addition to daycare and pet center services, there are best practices for pet owners to adopt in their homes in the summer, as well as for pedestrians to practice when coming across a stray on the street.

Be mindful of humidity

It is important to watch out for high humidity levels, especially if you live on the coast, because it reduces the ability of an animal to cool itself.

Limit exercise on hot days and provide shade and water (preferably ice water) when taking your pets out for a walk.

Home cooling hacks

Make “pupsicles” by freezing pet-safe treats.
Use cooling wraps, vests, or mats soaked in cold water.
Don’t shave your pet’s fur — it insulates from heat and sun.
Provide shaded areas or ventilated rooms indoors.
Avoid leaving pets in enclosed spaces such as dog houses, which trap heat.

Know the signs of heat stroke

Be mindful for signs of heat stroke, which include heavy panting, glazed eyes, difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat, fever, excessive thirst, unresponsiveness and inactivity, dizziness, lack of coordination, excessive salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizures, and unconsciousness.

Very old, very young, overweight, inactive pets, and pets with heart or respiratory diseases are more prone to heat strokes.

Certain breeds of cats and dogs, such as pugs and shih tzus who have short muzzles, will find it harder to breathe in the heat.

With temperatures regularly soaring above 40 C in Saudi summers, pet owners have to take extra measures to keep animals safe.

A national network of cooling and hydration stations for animals could be a valuable initiative, giving pets and strays a place to drink and cool off with minimal disruption.