It’s only natural to feel a bit stressed before exams get underway.
Whilst for some going through an exam is a breeze – revision comes naturally and it is easy to stay calm – for others: sweaty palms, procrastination and nerves are all too common.
Whether you’re feeling confident about your exams, or need a bit of extra reassurance and guidance – there are practical ways you can prepare as exam time looms. Take a look at our advice to improve your productivity, manage exam stress and increase your chances of succeeding during exam season:
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Start your revision early and prioritise your tasks
Making an early start on your revision can help you come prepared for your exams. By starting sooner rather than later, you’ll have enough time to go over the material at a steady pace. If you feel overwhelmed, remember that revision is about refreshing your knowledge of topics you’ve already learned – it’s not about learning anything new.
More than this – prioritising your time, subjects and workload will help reduce your stress levels, as you’ll be breaking down a big task into more manageable chunks. As a starting point, you could put together a simple table with the dates of each exam you have, and the topics you need to revise for each. This will give you a clear idea of how much time you need to dedicate to each exam – which can help you structure your revision plans.
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Boost your exam time management
Getting the timings right during an exam can be tricky. Spend too long on a question, and you might run out of time at the end and leave questions unfinished. Equally, if you panic and rush through questions too quickly, you may end up finishing the exam too early and missing out key details and vital marks.
Again, this is where revision and practice can really help. Go through some mock exam questions, and be strict with yourself over timings so you don’t run over time. It might take a bit of time and more than one try, but eventually you’ll know how long you should leave yourself to answer each question, and be able to use that time to your advantage confidently.
With all this practice, by the time you reach your exam, you’ll be confident managing your time and, as a bonus, will have a good idea of what kind of questions to expect.
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Eat, sleep and exercise well
We all know that life can get busy, and that’s before you throw revision and exam preparation into the mix! However, to help you manage exam stress, it’s crucial to look after your body and mind during this time. Exercising regularly can help to clear your head, whilst fuelling your body with a well-balanced diet will boost your energy and help stressful tasks seem more achievable. Going to bed at a reasonable time ensures your brain has sufficient time to recharge and really absorb what you’ve learnt. It is also worth cutting back on alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes during revision season, to help keep your mind focussed.
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Recognise when you’re panicking
Having a panic is common, whether it’s before, during, or even after, your exam. If you feel like you might be panicking: take a deep breath, take a moment to acknowledge this feeling, have a sip of water, and then go back the problem at hand. Remember that every problem usually has a solution, even if you fail to pick it up at first glance.
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Take breaks and plan things to look forward to
Studying long hours won’t necessarily get you the results you’re aiming for. Plus, overworking leaves you vulnerable to exhaustion or even burnout long before exam time arrives. You need to give your mind a chance to rest and recharge after a revision session. To this end, schedule time away from your studies to wind down and do something you find relaxing and fun. This could be as simple as going for a walk or reading a book.