...so, it’s all been leading up to this: hours of revising; blood, sweat and toil; tears, hundreds of cups of tea and probably way too many pot noodles.
Now is the moment of truth! Your time has come.
Here’s how to stay calm and smash those exams….
The night before:
Sleep Well Do something relaxing the hour before you go to bed – take a bath, watch a film, read a book; anything that’s not study related, so you can wind down and have a good night’s sleep. You want to wake up bright eyed and bushy-tailed!
Get organised! Set yourself up with a little ‘exam kit’. Keep it in your bag/somewhere safe so you don’t have to run around panicking and looking for the basics each time before your exam. The examiners will have spare pens, but it’s much less stressful knowing that you’re prepared for anything. Your kit should include:
Clear pencil case with everything you’ll need: several blue and black ball point pens, some highlighters, a pencil and a rubber/ruler/etc.
Bottled water Tissues (in case you have a cold)
Student ID Card
Lucky underpants (optional)
Just before the exam:
Don’t cram!There’s no point in trying to cram in a whole load of new info whilst you’re waiting for the invigilator to open the doors. You’re just going to confuse and stress yourself out. Lightly re-read through your notes if you have to, but otherwise chat to your friends, try some deep breathing exercises and:
Relax.You are here. You’re either as prepared or underprepared as you’re ever going to be – so there’s no point stressing. All you can do now is make the best of it!
Turn off your mobile phone (same goes for music players, tablets, tamagotchis, etc.), make sure it’s in your bag not your pocket!
During the Exam:
First, make sure you’re in the right seat and you’ve got no notes or electronics on you. Second, read the exam instructions! Upon hearing the dreaded words… ‘You may turn over your paper now’ -
Stop! Breathe. You have plenty of time – but manage it wisely.
Spend five minutes reading through the entire paper before you start answering questions. Don’t just dive in straight away! Decide which questions you’re going to answer (if you have the choice).
Be aware of the time and make sure you’re spending the right amount of time for each question. Be strict with yourself – you don’t want to wind up with only 10 minutes to answer a 40 mark question.
If you come across a question which you can’t answer – don’t dwell on it, move straight on to the next question then come back to it later. You might have just needed a minute to remember, or another question might jog your memory.
Plan your answers. If you have essay-based answers, spend 5 minutes writing out a plan. This will save you time in the long run! The easiest way is to make a simple mind-map of the points you’ll talk about and then number them into paragraphs. It also lets you do a mini-brainstorm which will help you to remember everything you’ve learned.
After the exam:If you reckon you smashed it, then use that as great motivation for the rest of your exams!
If you’re worrying about how it went - don’t dwell on it. Focus on your other exams, as they’re what’s important now. There’s no point in worrying about what’s already been done.
Give yourself a break, and a chance to properly wind down so that you’re ready for the next exam.
Anyone else got any advice for smashing your exams?