As we approach exam season, here are my top 3 tips to prepare for exams and avoid undue stress:
Tip 1. Have a plan.
To form a suitable plan, you must have essential details such as the number of exams you have, when, what topics that particular exam is about, and how the exam is marked. Knowing these basic details will allow you to structure revision sessions based on priority, such as which exams contribute most to your grades and which are coming first. These basic details also help you revise the necessary topics instead of using up precious time on topics irrelevant to the exam you are revising for.
The Pomodoro technique is a great and highly recommended tool for revision planning because it provides strict time limits for people who may find it hard to set their own. It also provides breaks at a suitable frequency giving you time to digest what you have learnt. The Pomodoro technique works by picking a task, such as revising a specific topic and setting a 25-minute timer. Next, you revise that topic for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After doing this four times, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes (let’s be honest, it will be 30 minutes) before repeating the process!
This technique is highly flexible, allowing you to spend varying amounts of time as the topic demands but always providing you with a suitable number of breaks and promoting a structure of revision that works through consistency rather than cramming, which can cause a lot of stress.
Tip 2. Look after yourself!
Unfortunately, it is common for those taking exams to let the exams engulf their life to the point many students suffer from anxiety or depression. This mental state can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle that creates a worse atmosphere to revise and take exams, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failing due to the negative thoughts about the exam becoming true through our actions.
Remembering that a balanced diet, exercise, and sleep routine will ensure you are in the best mental and physical state to revise and take on your exams. A healthy physical state will help with revising and remembering key details. A healthy mental state with help with managing anxiety and stress, allowing you to deal with such problems as intrusive thoughts of failure.
When planning your revision schedule, remember to plan activities and things that bring you joy and help you relax!
Tip 3. Exams do not define you.
Remember that whatever happens in your exams does not define you and your future. Nor do they measure your intelligence. Instead, they are a tool to measure how well you can digest and regurgitate information which is different from how the working world works. On top of that, exams try to trick you and word questions in easily misunderstood ways, which can be hard to notice under the stressful environment of exams.
Failing an exam doesn’t mean you are a failure or didn’t try. Exams aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay. There are alternative ways to get qualifications, such as an apprenticeship or a more coursework-based course where you may shine more than with exams.
Understanding what works best for you is a crucial part of life, and being comfortable with what you’re good at without beating yourself up about what you’re not so good at is a life lesson learnt through failures such as exams.