Do you sweat, chew your pencil, and feel butterflies in your stomach at exam time? A lot of people get freaked out when it's time to take a test.
It's natural to feel some stress about taking exams. In fact, sometimes a little adrenaline is a good thing to jump-start you.
Here are some tips for taking exams:
- First, be sure you've studied properly. It sounds like a no-brainer, but if you're sure of the information, you'll have less reason to be worried.
- Get enough sleep the night before. Your memory recall will be much better if you've had enough rest. In a scientific study, people who got enough sleep before taking an exam did better than those who stayed up all night studying.
- Listen closely to any instructions. As the professor hands out the exam, be sure you know what's expected of you.
- Read the test through first. Once you have the exam in front of you, read over the entire thing, checking out how long it is and all the parts that you are expected to complete. This will allow you to estimate how much time you have for each section and ask the instructor any questions. If something seems unclear before you start, don't panic: ask.
- Focus on addressing each question individually. As you take the test, if you don't know an answer, don't obsess over it. Instead, answer the best way you can or skip over the question and come back to it after you've answered others.
- Relax. If you're so nervous that you blank out, you might need a mini-break. Of course you can't get up and move around in the middle of a final, but you can wiggle your fingers and toes, take four or five deep breaths, or picture yourself on a beach or some other calm place. As everyone knows, it can be easy to forget things you know well — like your best friend's cell phone number. The difference is you know you'll remember the number because you've used it hundreds of times, so you don't panic and the digits eventually come back. During an exam, if you blank out on something and start to get tense, it suddenly becomes much more difficult to remember.
- Finished already? Although professors will let you hand in an exam early, it's usually a good idea to spend any extra time checking over your work. You also can add details that you may not have thought you'd have time for. On the other hand, if you have 5 minutes until the class ends and you're still writing, wind up whatever you're working on without panicking.
Good luck!
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