Tell us: What's your routine the night before an exam?
So the scenario is: it's the night before your exam, what are you personally doing to give yourself the best chance of success?
We've all heard the advice before, make sure you get enough sleep, cramming too late in the night won't work, make sure you drink enough water the night before.
That's the sensible but generic advice, but we want to hear from you! What's that speciifc routine that sets you up and makes you feel ready for the day ahead.
Let's share tips, tricks and strategies for preperation
Tell us: What's your routine the night before an exam?
We've all heard the advice before, make sure you get enough sleep, cramming too late in the night won't work, make sure you drink enough water the night before.
That's the sensible but generic advice, but we want to hear from you! What's that speciifc routine that sets you up and makes you feel ready for the day ahead.
Let's share tips, tricks and strategies for preperation
Tell us: What's your routine the night before an exam?
(edited 11 months ago)
Set my alarms and put phone on charge at least half an hour before bed, don't look at phone again after this. This is the time I use to brush teeth, get into pyjamas, make sure everything is ready for tomorrow, and then injecting myself with insulin #PancreasPosse
The day before:
• Final pieces of revision
• Getting all my stuff sorted.
At night:
• Make sure I sleep by 10:30 latest.
• Set my 10,000 alarms
• Read a book and forget about the exam until I walk into the exam room.
• Final pieces of revision
• Getting all my stuff sorted.
At night:
• Make sure I sleep by 10:30 latest.
• Set my 10,000 alarms
• Read a book and forget about the exam until I walk into the exam room.
I spend the length of time for that exam revising content in that exam only, then the next exam in the same way (with 30 mins gap in between for either TV or games). Pack bag with equipment and notes for next day at 10:00pm latest.
PS. The only exception was English Literature Paper 2 (as I can't be committed to 2hrs 15mins of revision), so sometimes I do what seems most comfortable.
PS. The only exception was English Literature Paper 2 (as I can't be committed to 2hrs 15mins of revision), so sometimes I do what seems most comfortable.
(edited 11 months ago)
I look over anything I feel like I need to (i.e. topics I’m most uncomfortable with or things that are almost certainly going to come up), then I read a book for around 10 minutes before sleeping.
Original post by Evil Homer
So the scenario is: it's the night before your exam, what are you personally doing to give yourself the best chance of success?
We've all heard the advice before, make sure you get enough sleep, cramming too late in the night won't work, make sure you drink enough water the night before.
That's the sensible but generic advice, but we want to hear from you! What's that speciifc routine that sets you up and makes you feel ready for the day ahead.
Let's share tips, tricks and strategies for preperation
Tell us: What's your routine the night before an exam?
We've all heard the advice before, make sure you get enough sleep, cramming too late in the night won't work, make sure you drink enough water the night before.
That's the sensible but generic advice, but we want to hear from you! What's that speciifc routine that sets you up and makes you feel ready for the day ahead.
Let's share tips, tricks and strategies for preperation
Tell us: What's your routine the night before an exam?
Reread all previously done papers or revision work to remember important points to improve.
Review content, don't revise for new content.
Calm down, meditate if needed, but just trust in the work you have done.
Sleep before 12am.
Wake up, leave time for a nice breakfast, don't rush yourself.
Review any last minute important notes before exams, e.g. some real world context for economics
Calm down before the exam, distance yourself from groups of other examinees who are likely producing lots of stress if needed. Or surround yourself with them if it makes you feel more prepared to have a last minute review, but only if you know it won't affect yourself in a bad way.
Just trust yourself and don't rush through the paper.
Day before:
- Go over all notes for the subject and make sure I know every little piece of information (I sometimes don't do this if the exam is in the afternoon and I've got a few other exams that week)
- Look through examiner reports (they are SUPER useful and many people don't know about them, I feel like they helped me answer questions in all of my exams)
- Prepare clear pencil case with exam materials
- Once I'm happy with revision and I feel prepared for the exam, I unwind by watching Netflix
- If I have to wake up early (6:00 am) as the exam is in the morning, I go to sleep at 10:00 pm. If not, I go to sleep at (10:30 pm) as I still wake up around 6:30 - 7:00 am in order to revise
Day of exam:
- Try to have some breakfast (depends on how nervous I am hahaha)
- Try to ignore the fact that I have an exam that day until I'm in the exam room
- If the exam is in the afternoon, I'll go over my notes in the morning
- Arrive at school 50 minutes before the exam is supposed to start and head to the area outside the exam room for last minute stressing and studying with my friends (I feel like this time is crucial and there have been so many times where one of us said something that saved us in the exam)
- About 20 minutes before the exam I will stop looking over content and try to relax
Advice for during the exam:
Keep an eye on the clock
The last thing you want is to lose marks because you ran out of time, especially with all the time that you spent studying and preparing. For non-essay subject like the Sciences, I look at the page count and I try to be halfway through the paper by the halfway point of the exam. For essay subjects I actually find it easier since you can plan out the exact amount of time you will spend on each essay. In English, I allocate a certain amount of time for each question then I divide it by the number of paragraphs I want to do. I also make sure to leave time for planning if I need it. If you calculated 5 minutes per paragraph, DO NOT spend more than 5 minutes per paragraph. The only time you can do this is if you completed a section quicker than you thought you would. You must find a way to wrap up your paragraph so you can move on to the next one. It is also a way of avoiding repeating the same things and making sure to select what you say as you only have a limited amount of time to do so. I tend to overwrite and make massive paragraphs so this technique has been incredibly helpful. The only way it will work is if you are extremely strict with yourself and stick to it no matter what.
If you are running out of time, the worst thing you can do is panic.
This has happened in a few of my exams and the panic only made it harder to concentrate. In the end, I finished all of them. I even had 5 minutes to check my answers in Biology which I'd thought I wasn't going to be able to complete.
How to calm yourself down
My technique is deep breaths while saying positive things to myself like: you can do this, you are prepared, you have the knowledge to answer every question on this paper, if you're finding it hard so is everyone else, etc. Just try to think rationally and not let your emotions get the better of you at least until after the exam.
I hope this was helpful!
- Go over all notes for the subject and make sure I know every little piece of information (I sometimes don't do this if the exam is in the afternoon and I've got a few other exams that week)
- Look through examiner reports (they are SUPER useful and many people don't know about them, I feel like they helped me answer questions in all of my exams)
- Prepare clear pencil case with exam materials
- Once I'm happy with revision and I feel prepared for the exam, I unwind by watching Netflix
- If I have to wake up early (6:00 am) as the exam is in the morning, I go to sleep at 10:00 pm. If not, I go to sleep at (10:30 pm) as I still wake up around 6:30 - 7:00 am in order to revise
Day of exam:
- Try to have some breakfast (depends on how nervous I am hahaha)
- Try to ignore the fact that I have an exam that day until I'm in the exam room
- If the exam is in the afternoon, I'll go over my notes in the morning
- Arrive at school 50 minutes before the exam is supposed to start and head to the area outside the exam room for last minute stressing and studying with my friends (I feel like this time is crucial and there have been so many times where one of us said something that saved us in the exam)
- About 20 minutes before the exam I will stop looking over content and try to relax
Advice for during the exam:
Keep an eye on the clock
The last thing you want is to lose marks because you ran out of time, especially with all the time that you spent studying and preparing. For non-essay subject like the Sciences, I look at the page count and I try to be halfway through the paper by the halfway point of the exam. For essay subjects I actually find it easier since you can plan out the exact amount of time you will spend on each essay. In English, I allocate a certain amount of time for each question then I divide it by the number of paragraphs I want to do. I also make sure to leave time for planning if I need it. If you calculated 5 minutes per paragraph, DO NOT spend more than 5 minutes per paragraph. The only time you can do this is if you completed a section quicker than you thought you would. You must find a way to wrap up your paragraph so you can move on to the next one. It is also a way of avoiding repeating the same things and making sure to select what you say as you only have a limited amount of time to do so. I tend to overwrite and make massive paragraphs so this technique has been incredibly helpful. The only way it will work is if you are extremely strict with yourself and stick to it no matter what.
If you are running out of time, the worst thing you can do is panic.
This has happened in a few of my exams and the panic only made it harder to concentrate. In the end, I finished all of them. I even had 5 minutes to check my answers in Biology which I'd thought I wasn't going to be able to complete.
How to calm yourself down
My technique is deep breaths while saying positive things to myself like: you can do this, you are prepared, you have the knowledge to answer every question on this paper, if you're finding it hard so is everyone else, etc. Just try to think rationally and not let your emotions get the better of you at least until after the exam.
I hope this was helpful!
Original post by CatalinaIK
Day before:
- Go over all notes for the subject and make sure I know every little piece of information (I sometimes don't do this if the exam is in the afternoon and I've got a few other exams that week)
- Look through examiner reports (they are SUPER useful and many people don't know about them, I feel like they helped me answer questions in all of my exams)
- Prepare clear pencil case with exam materials
- Once I'm happy with revision and I feel prepared for the exam, I unwind by watching Netflix
- If I have to wake up early (6:00 am) as the exam is in the morning, I go to sleep at 10:00 pm. If not, I go to sleep at (10:30 pm) as I still wake up around 6:30 - 7:00 am in order to revise
Day of exam:
- Try to have some breakfast (depends on how nervous I am hahaha)
- Try to ignore the fact that I have an exam that day until I'm in the exam room
- If the exam is in the afternoon, I'll go over my notes in the morning
- Arrive at school 50 minutes before the exam is supposed to start and head to the area outside the exam room for last minute stressing and studying with my friends (I feel like this time is crucial and there have been so many times where one of us said something that saved us in the exam)
- About 20 minutes before the exam I will stop looking over content and try to relax
Advice for during the exam:
Keep an eye on the clock
The last thing you want is to lose marks because you ran out of time, especially with all the time that you spent studying and preparing. For non-essay subject like the Sciences, I look at the page count and I try to be halfway through the paper by the halfway point of the exam. For essay subjects I actually find it easier since you can plan out the exact amount of time you will spend on each essay. In English, I allocate a certain amount of time for each question then I divide it by the number of paragraphs I want to do. I also make sure to leave time for planning if I need it. If you calculated 5 minutes per paragraph, DO NOT spend more than 5 minutes per paragraph. The only time you can do this is if you completed a section quicker than you thought you would. You must find a way to wrap up your paragraph so you can move on to the next one. It is also a way of avoiding repeating the same things and making sure to select what you say as you only have a limited amount of time to do so. I tend to overwrite and make massive paragraphs so this technique has been incredibly helpful. The only way it will work is if you are extremely strict with yourself and stick to it no matter what.
If you are running out of time, the worst thing you can do is panic.
This has happened in a few of my exams and the panic only made it harder to concentrate. In the end, I finished all of them. I even had 5 minutes to check my answers in Biology which I'd thought I wasn't going to be able to complete.
How to calm yourself down
My technique is deep breaths while saying positive things to myself like: you can do this, you are prepared, you have the knowledge to answer every question on this paper, if you're finding it hard so is everyone else, etc. Just try to think rationally and not let your emotions get the better of you at least until after the exam.
I hope this was helpful!
- Go over all notes for the subject and make sure I know every little piece of information (I sometimes don't do this if the exam is in the afternoon and I've got a few other exams that week)
- Look through examiner reports (they are SUPER useful and many people don't know about them, I feel like they helped me answer questions in all of my exams)
- Prepare clear pencil case with exam materials
- Once I'm happy with revision and I feel prepared for the exam, I unwind by watching Netflix
- If I have to wake up early (6:00 am) as the exam is in the morning, I go to sleep at 10:00 pm. If not, I go to sleep at (10:30 pm) as I still wake up around 6:30 - 7:00 am in order to revise
Day of exam:
- Try to have some breakfast (depends on how nervous I am hahaha)
- Try to ignore the fact that I have an exam that day until I'm in the exam room
- If the exam is in the afternoon, I'll go over my notes in the morning
- Arrive at school 50 minutes before the exam is supposed to start and head to the area outside the exam room for last minute stressing and studying with my friends (I feel like this time is crucial and there have been so many times where one of us said something that saved us in the exam)
- About 20 minutes before the exam I will stop looking over content and try to relax
Advice for during the exam:
Keep an eye on the clock
The last thing you want is to lose marks because you ran out of time, especially with all the time that you spent studying and preparing. For non-essay subject like the Sciences, I look at the page count and I try to be halfway through the paper by the halfway point of the exam. For essay subjects I actually find it easier since you can plan out the exact amount of time you will spend on each essay. In English, I allocate a certain amount of time for each question then I divide it by the number of paragraphs I want to do. I also make sure to leave time for planning if I need it. If you calculated 5 minutes per paragraph, DO NOT spend more than 5 minutes per paragraph. The only time you can do this is if you completed a section quicker than you thought you would. You must find a way to wrap up your paragraph so you can move on to the next one. It is also a way of avoiding repeating the same things and making sure to select what you say as you only have a limited amount of time to do so. I tend to overwrite and make massive paragraphs so this technique has been incredibly helpful. The only way it will work is if you are extremely strict with yourself and stick to it no matter what.
If you are running out of time, the worst thing you can do is panic.
This has happened in a few of my exams and the panic only made it harder to concentrate. In the end, I finished all of them. I even had 5 minutes to check my answers in Biology which I'd thought I wasn't going to be able to complete.
How to calm yourself down
My technique is deep breaths while saying positive things to myself like: you can do this, you are prepared, you have the knowledge to answer every question on this paper, if you're finding it hard so is everyone else, etc. Just try to think rationally and not let your emotions get the better of you at least until after the exam.
I hope this was helpful!
This is incredibly detailed and thorough, thank you !!
All of your answers are great so far, keep em coming
For me, I prefer to go on around 7 hours - 1130 to 0630 normally. Changing this for me first exam days actually made me more tired, so unless u normally get 3 hours of sleep, dont change it.
For night before,
Best thing you can do is write. While reading is alright, they dont test u on how u can read. Doing Questions or just writing down information will make it easier to do in the exam, so look at something that is a bit difficult, revise your notes, and then re write your notes, and look for more information online if possible.
Morning of the exam,
Make sure you bag is packed the night before, and your uniform is already down, so youve get less things to stress. This gives you time to eat, brush your teeth, change clothes and other stuff in the morning. If possible, get to school and go to the exam waiting room as close to 1 hour before the exam. For me, we have a whiteboard in their, and, for example, in Sciences i will jot down everything about the practicals as they will be the big essay answers. Depending on the subject, get practicing writing down something that will be asked in a long answer form.
Tips:
Dont drink too much, especially caffiene, and take small sips of water in the exam,
Dont look at others, other people may finish early and you may find the exam hard, just ignore them and focus
After 20 minutes or so after the exam has ended, move on, its time to focus on the next exam. Maybe ponder about 1 or 2 questions with your mates, but dont stress on about it, its over.
Bring multiple of each equipment (pens, pencils, rubbers, rulers), you never know what happens.
Put water bottle on floor. If spills, your exam is ruined.
If you find it hard, most likely 90% of the country will find it hard, especially if you know you have revised hard
For night before,
Best thing you can do is write. While reading is alright, they dont test u on how u can read. Doing Questions or just writing down information will make it easier to do in the exam, so look at something that is a bit difficult, revise your notes, and then re write your notes, and look for more information online if possible.
Morning of the exam,
Make sure you bag is packed the night before, and your uniform is already down, so youve get less things to stress. This gives you time to eat, brush your teeth, change clothes and other stuff in the morning. If possible, get to school and go to the exam waiting room as close to 1 hour before the exam. For me, we have a whiteboard in their, and, for example, in Sciences i will jot down everything about the practicals as they will be the big essay answers. Depending on the subject, get practicing writing down something that will be asked in a long answer form.
Tips:
Dont drink too much, especially caffiene, and take small sips of water in the exam,
Dont look at others, other people may finish early and you may find the exam hard, just ignore them and focus
After 20 minutes or so after the exam has ended, move on, its time to focus on the next exam. Maybe ponder about 1 or 2 questions with your mates, but dont stress on about it, its over.
Bring multiple of each equipment (pens, pencils, rubbers, rulers), you never know what happens.
Put water bottle on floor. If spills, your exam is ruined.
If you find it hard, most likely 90% of the country will find it hard, especially if you know you have revised hard
I do 3 A-levels: Maths, Chemistry and Physics.
Assuming there is no exam the day before an exam:
1. I would do the latest paper in that exam series in timed conditions in the morning e.g. 2022 Physics paper 1 the day before paper 1. I would then mark it and go through the examiner report, highlighting my mistakes and checking whether the same mistakes were highlighted by examiners - 80% of the time they are!
2. Key definitions that I have had issues with in the past - doing the old " look see cover check" method ensures I don't drop stupid 1/2 markers.
3. Specific Topics that I don't like/am historically poor at. I don't like doing this but I don't want to regret not going over a doubt that arose.
4. Looking over at old PPQs/ school mock papers. You might get an "oh yeah" moment which could prompt revision of a topic
Finally, in the evening, I will recite my revision notes, going through everything that may be in the paper.
I would go to bed at 10pm for a morning exam and 11pm for an evening exam (I would wake up at 8am - early but fairly relaxed compared to 6am)
Then I would get to school 45 - 75 minutes before the exam and have a chat/group revision session with my friends, before encouraging and psyching each other up
My top tips:
Feeling nervous is normal and perhaps great as the chance for procrastination is very low - you will likely spend the day nervous but productive
Eat a good dinner, and keep refuelling to stop productivity decreasing.
It is worth reviewing any doubt that crosses your mind - you do not want to feel regret after the exam
Good luck for all your exams, and I hope my post was helpful!
Assuming there is no exam the day before an exam:
1. I would do the latest paper in that exam series in timed conditions in the morning e.g. 2022 Physics paper 1 the day before paper 1. I would then mark it and go through the examiner report, highlighting my mistakes and checking whether the same mistakes were highlighted by examiners - 80% of the time they are!
2. Key definitions that I have had issues with in the past - doing the old " look see cover check" method ensures I don't drop stupid 1/2 markers.
3. Specific Topics that I don't like/am historically poor at. I don't like doing this but I don't want to regret not going over a doubt that arose.
4. Looking over at old PPQs/ school mock papers. You might get an "oh yeah" moment which could prompt revision of a topic
Finally, in the evening, I will recite my revision notes, going through everything that may be in the paper.
I would go to bed at 10pm for a morning exam and 11pm for an evening exam (I would wake up at 8am - early but fairly relaxed compared to 6am)
Then I would get to school 45 - 75 minutes before the exam and have a chat/group revision session with my friends, before encouraging and psyching each other up
My top tips:
Feeling nervous is normal and perhaps great as the chance for procrastination is very low - you will likely spend the day nervous but productive
Eat a good dinner, and keep refuelling to stop productivity decreasing.
It is worth reviewing any doubt that crosses your mind - you do not want to feel regret after the exam
Good luck for all your exams, and I hope my post was helpful!
day before: cram as much as i can, check the spec and rag rate it any weak topics watch a vid make notes and do some qs on it, past paper or 2 if i am bothered. just go over all notes check through books and remind myself of key things that come up every year and plan my perfect answers. pack my bag for the next exams revision stuff and any notes i wanna look over at school before the exam,set up my study area for the morning. get into pjs all that stuff. pray for the exam to go good lmao. go to sleep at lastest 1am depening on how much i procrastinated.
morning of: wake up at like 4/5 am and watch one of those everything on the spec vids and make a mindmap using the vid, eat breakfast while watching vids on key topics, maybe more ppqs if i have a lot of time that day and just make last minute notes/concept maps before i have to leave for the bus. if i feel rlly secure then just relax after the everyhting on spec vid. whilst walking i listen to the seneca revision podcasts very useful but i often zone out accidently. on the bus annotate notes/revision guide or do qs on educake or seneca or look at quizlets. once i get to school go to the toilet and panic with friends last minute check. last 5 mins just accept fate lol
morning of: wake up at like 4/5 am and watch one of those everything on the spec vids and make a mindmap using the vid, eat breakfast while watching vids on key topics, maybe more ppqs if i have a lot of time that day and just make last minute notes/concept maps before i have to leave for the bus. if i feel rlly secure then just relax after the everyhting on spec vid. whilst walking i listen to the seneca revision podcasts very useful but i often zone out accidently. on the bus annotate notes/revision guide or do qs on educake or seneca or look at quizlets. once i get to school go to the toilet and panic with friends last minute check. last 5 mins just accept fate lol
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