Exam time has arrived, the sun is always shining and you are stuck in doors hitting the books - right? Or are you feeling just too overwhelmed and under pressure to focus? Anyone can suffer from exam stress, but if you feel that it is getting all too much some of the tips below may help to relieve the pressure.
General exam stress-busting tips:
Believe in yourself. You are capable of passing the exam. You wouldn't have been given a place in the class or on the course if you didn't have the ability to do it.
Don’t just worry – take action!
If you don't understand some of your course material, getting stressed out won't help. Instead, take action by seeing your course tutor or asking your class mates to help you understand the problem.
Talk to a friend
Confiding in someone you trust and who will listen and be supportive is a great way ofreducing stress and worry.
Don’t put yourself under too much pressure
Aim to do your best but recognise that if you think that "anything less than A+ means I've failed" then you are creating unnecessary stress for yourself.
Tips for the revision period:
Time is of the essence!
Boost your confidence and reduce any pre-exam stress by avoiding last minute cramming. Leaving plenty of time to revise means you know you have prepared well.
Play is as important as work.
Make sure that you build in time to have fun and relax in between study sessions. Develop a timetable so that you can track and monitor your progress.
Take a break.
As soon as you notice you are losing concentration, take a short break – go for a walk, talk to a friend or just listen to some music. Then you will feel refreshed and able to concentrate on your revision again.
Another cuppa? Don't think so.
Don't drink too much coffee, tea and fizzy drinks; the caffeine will make you feel 'keyed-up' and make your thinking less clear.
Eat some ‘superfoods’.
Eat healthily and regularly; your brain will benefit from the nutrients. Replace sweets and sugar with ‘superfoods’ such as berries, bananas, oily fish, nuts and broccoli. 'Superfoods' can help boost your concentration, energy and mood.
A change is as good as a rest. Experiment with several alternative revision techniques so that revision is more fun and your motivation to study is high.
Give your body a workout (as well asyour mind). Regular moderate exercise such as a brisk walk, swim or session in the gym will boost your energy, clear your mind and help reduce any feelings of stress.
Tips for keeping calm during the exam:
Try to avoid panic.
It's natural to feel some exam nerves prior to starting the exam and that can be a positive and motivating feeling. However, getting excessively nervous is counterproductive as it hinders your ability to think clearly.
Breathe deep.
The quickest and most effective way of eliminating feelings of stress and panic is to close your eyes and take several long, slow deep breaths. Breathing in this way calms your whole nervous system.
Blankety blank?
If your mind goes blank, don't panic - it just makes it harder to recall information. Instead, focus on slow, deep breathing for about one minute. If you still can't remember the information then move on to another question and return to this question later.
Don’t dwell on past exams.
Don't spend time focussing where you think you went wrong. Often we are our own harshest critics. Congratulate yourself for the things you did right, learn from the bits where you know you could have done better, and then move on.
Have all necessary material with you You can't borrow items such as pens, pencils, rulers or special equipment while in an examination.
Have a relaxing night before your exams
Have an early night, and try to have a healthy breakfast.
Read the entire paper.
Where you have choices, decide which ones you plan to answer.
Plan your time.
Spend some time drafting a plan for the questions you choose to answer.
Jot down ideas as they come to you.
While you are answering one question, information about another may suddenly occur to you. Jot it down somewhere because when you come to that question perhaps an hour later, you may have forgotten it.
Don't leave any questions unanswered. If you are short of time, use note form. Remember, you can only be marked on the answers you give.
Never leave the room early.
If you have time at the end, go over your work, add information (eg in the margin). You can't return if you suddenly remember a fact after you have left.
Do not spend too long on multiple choice questions. With multiple choice questions it is best to cover the answers and work out your own before looking at the choices on paper. If you can't answer the question come back to it later - have a guess.
Never omit an entire question.
No matter how well you answer other questions, you must leave time for all questions - a perfect answer can still only earn a certain number of marks. If you write nothing, you can't receive any marks and you have lost all your marks for a particular question. Write something - it may at least give you a few points.
Maintain a stable energy level.
Eating foods such as chocolate bars before an exam might give you an energy boost to begin with but your blood sugar levels will drop within an hour and your energy will plunge dramatically, making it hard for you to concentrate.
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