How do you prepare yourself for an exam mentally before, during and after?

I am curious about what works best for different people and have been carrying out some anecdotal research among my peers.

I've always been different from my friends in that I have a set of rules I always follow for exams that have been more helpful than anything:

I personally hate having speaking directly before the exam with my peers about the exam itself and after I avoid ALL exam related conversation.

I also like to emotionally disconnect from the exam, because in the grand scheme of planet Earth or the Universe apocalypse day isn't going to be initiated.

I tend to find most most of my friends are the opposite, highly engaged about the exam before and after, and revising up until the final minutes, checking unofficial mark schemes etc.

If I find myself doing this it's because I'm not confident in the exam, so I know to avoid this and focus on being confident what I've learnt, I've learnt to the best of my ability.

How about everyone else?

Reply 1

discomposure

I hate talking about the exam right before it, instead I tend to just chill with my headphones in and some food. Always get to the exam early so I don’t have to rush & I usually flick through my notes a couple hours before the exam, just glossing over key points and looking over definitions.

During the exam I just focus on each question, if I don’t know it oh well on to the next one, I find drinking water helps me focus.

Afterwards I normally talk about it a little with friends but I don't go overboard and check unofficial mark schemes/try to look up all the answers- made that mistake before at A-level, panicked & thought I'd done rubbish when it turned out I got full UMS for that exam aha :p:

Being relaxed about it all is definitely the way to go :smile:

Reply 2

Nikkininjastyle

I have a biology exam coming up soon and I always get quite emotional before purely out of panic. But I have found that having a positive mind set really helps. An exam isn't the end of the world and so I focus on the fun of it being over!

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Reply 3

Thanbir_H

I kinda block myself out from the outer world before an exam. Its funny because I see everyone gathering round with their revision guide before the exam and I think to myself, 'we're a few minutes away from the exam, you either know the content or you don't so theres no point'. Once I get into an exam I'm usually pretty calm and once I get into the flow of answering questions i'm fine. But I hate exams where i'm pressured on time and have to refer to the clock ever 5 mins just to check if i'm on course, e.g. English Lit exams. There are situations where I don't understand the question and my palms becomes sweaty and I feel like getting out of the exam room to do a ****. But in that situation you just have to carry on. After the exam, I just get on with life and don't ask about answers because its beyond my power now. Ive finished the exam and theres nothing more that I can do.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

Nikkininjastyle

Yeah, I find that revising just before makes it worse. The night before is my limit. Trying to cram just before just encourages my mind to block.

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Reply 5

username877577

For my classics exam yesterday I was fairly confident but I kept reading over my notes till the last minute :|
I don't talk to anybody at all before hand, I try and stay calm throughout and I only talk after saying how I found it and that's it

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Reply 6

BioIz

Beforehand: eat a lot, talk to no one.
During: Power through.
After: Eat a lot, talk to no one.

Reply 7

Nikkininjastyle

Original post by BioIz

Beforehand: eat a lot, talk to no one.
During: Power through.
After: Eat a lot, talk to no one.

Love this

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Reply 8

Jams97

If I have an afternoon exam I tend to watch Jeremy kyle in the morning lol.... But like 20 mins before I always listen to upbeat music loud... And after sleep :smile:

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Reply 9

blossomx

Before I read my notes over and over. I'll have a textbook on my lap whilst straightening my hair, etc. I also sometimes put notes of the things that I've been struggling to remember on my phone and I'll read that before the exam. I personally think going over notes is really helpful. Once I was on TSR on the thread of the exam I was taking later that day and I realised that my teacher hadn't taught us a topic and I managed to learn it all that morning for the exam. Sure you can't learn huge amounts of information a few hours before the exam but going over things briefly just keeps it all fresh in your mind.

Afterwards I always have to know how other people found it and what they wrote. Quite a lot of my friends hate it and they practically run out the door as soon as the exams over lol.

Reply 10

coco_madem0iselle

Before: I try not to revise on the day because I normally get panicked, instead I just sit around and chat with the calm people, pop a propranolol that morning as well haha.
During: Feel very reassured when I know stuff. Get teary eyed when I don't, I know it's so silly hahah. I don't really have anxiety problems during exams, just before.
After: Talk to people. Try to avoid those who are crying. Ask people not to tell me the answers to any calculations. Go on TSR, the thread for the exam I just did where people are discussing their answers (I can't help it!). Realise I've done something wrong in the exam- immediately unwatch the thread and avoid it.

Then onto the next one :wink:

Reply 11

Tackla

Original post by BioIz

Beforehand: eat a lot, talk to no one.
During: Power through.
After: Eat a lot, talk to no one.

Hahahahahahaha I would rep this, but can't on the TSR app :frown:

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Reply 12

Cluck

I cram until the very last minute. My short-term memory is pretty amazing at holding up to 30 figures, equations or whatnot in my head for a bout 20 minutes, so cramming what I haven't quite had time to learn properly right up until going into the exam, and then immediately jotting them down and forgetting them, has worked very well for me in the past.

In those last few minutes, sitting in the exam hall but not yet allowed to start, I just make myself as calm as possible and focus on holding the crammed stuff in my head as accurately as possible.

Afterwards, I always tell myself I won't talk about the exam becaue it'll just discourage me... and then I go right ahead and do it anyway. I just can't seem to help myself, and my friends are the same!

Reply 13

jaegermaestra

I find that getting a good nights sleep is crucial so I have a clear head and am refreshed, if I'm running on low I find it hard to concentrate. Healthy diet with fresh juices and not too much caffeine , or I crash pretty quick.
Talking about the exam before doesn't help me either, I just get worked up. Normally try some relaxation techniques and keep calm. Make sure I'm prepared the night before and I take some time out to think. I have to stop myself rushing into questions as well and make sure I read them at least twice before answering. :smile:

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Reply 14

hevlar.kelmet

I do my daily routine exactly as usual before the exam. I sleep like normal and eat a normal breakfast. If I do anything weird I find it almost always does more harm then good.

The questions in an exam are usually structured to start you off easy and get harder as you 'warm up'. I like to start warmed up so half an hour before the exam I get cracking on a past paper so when the exam starts I'm already running at full steam.

Reply 15

Magenta96

I sleep less than usual the night before because when I try to sleep earlier than normal, I find it EVEN more difficult to sleep. Before the exam I just think myself 'please, please be an easy paper, please give me an A!'. Then during the exam, I just do the questions and after the exam I feel drained so don't talk much. I can't resist talking about the questions with my friends though, it gets it out my system then I don't talk about my exams until results day.

Reply 16

the.austrian

Original post by Jams97

If I have an afternoon exam I tend to watch Jeremy kyle in the morning lol.... But like 20 mins before I always listen to upbeat music loud... And after sleep :smile:

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Jeremy Kyle oh my ahahah!

That's a cracking idea, makes you feel really intelligent

Reply 17

ciclismo

I'm surprised at how quick people are to criticise when I'm frantically revising my notes before we have to leave our bags and go and wait to be called in to the exam "if you don't know it now you never will... doing yourself more harm than good... anything now is pointless". I find refreshing myself before the exam and doing at least 2 hours revision before the exam itself is vital so that my head is full of ideas when entering the hall so I can jot the harder stuff down before I forget about it!

I try to eat lots of fish during exam period, wear loose, comfy clothing in the exams, eat a banana before I go in and most importantly of all: wear my lucky socks :wink:

Reply 18

the.austrian

Original post by ciclismo

I guess it depends if you like to work stuff out in the exam or not, and whether you can switch on the part of your mind quickly enough that deals with the hard concepts in the exam.

For maths I'd agree a bit of arithmetic and reviewing identities/formulas might help but other subjects I just get nervous if I see something I don't know before the exam.

I'd second fish, omega 3 oils :wink: