AS EXAMS start to creep around the corner, so does the stress. Although many of us as students are all too familiar with exams, we still haven’t managed to completely cope with the pressures of studying and what is expected of us. Needless to say exam period is a stressful time of year, but hopefully these top 5 tips will help relieve some of that anxiety you may be feeling.
1. Get organised
Buy yourself a diary or a planner and write down the exact dates and times of your exams. A handy app I have on my laptop is Countdown Professional that can be downloaded from the app store and counts down to certain events whilst being able to visually see this on your desktop. This is extremely handy, as I personally like to see how many days I have until a deadline or an exam.
2. Find your favourite study spot
We all have that one place where we can significantly work better. For me, it’s my university library purely because I have easy access to books and I can’t work anywhere that isn’t silent. If you can work best at your desk at home, or even better, in the comfort of your own bed, then set yourself up with snacks and water (or tea!) to help your through your studies.
3. Don’t compare with friends
As tempting as it may be to ask your friend how much revision they’ve done that day, the likelihood is their response will only worry you even more and this is the same with asking others how they found the exam after you leave the room, it just isn’t worth it. Remember that your answers are your own and there is nothing you can do after the exam so there is no point worrying about something you can’t change.
4. Cramming isn’t beneficial
All nighters are never good, even if you feel like you still have a lot to learn. Ideally you still need to aim for around 8 hours of sleep every night so your brain can back up short-term patterns and create long-term memories. So, whilst it may seem a great idea to study throughout the night, your brain probably won’t even be remembering the information.
5. Repetition works well
Repeating things is great in terms of remembrance. Pathways between neurons in your brain can be strengthened over time and simple repetition is the best way to create a pattern. Studies have shown that learning in short bursts over time and repeatedly testing yourself is much more effective than any other method of learning.
Found these tips useful? Check out the 7 Best Exam Strategies for Your Learning Style (If you have time between your revision!)
