EXAM TIPS
MIND OVER MATTER Committed educationalist Anne Eadie, founder of The Answer Series, offers last minute exam wisdom to follow for success With end of year exams on your doorstep, here are some top tips for the final push, starting with a strategy for the three days leading up to exams and then tips for the big days:
3-DAY COUNTDOWN ✔
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To stay calm and focused, you need plenty of sleep, quiet chill time and a clear idea of what to expect for each exam. Don’t take your screens to bed with you – rather read a book or meditate or have a bath to relax before turning out the lights. When you sleep, your brain converts facts from shortterm memory to long-term memory. You are far more likely to recall information and remember facts if you get the recommended eight hours of sleep every (or most) night. You’ll also wake up refreshed and ready to slay the day. Don’t overcommit your days – make time for fun or chilling outside of studying, but make sure it’s not going to sap too much of your energy or add any stress to your day. Keep the parties and hook-ups for post-exam celebrations! Take the time to go through past papers and also familiarise yourself with the format of the exam – how long is it? What style of questions will be asked? Which section or topics would you like to tackle first? The best way to deal with anxiety is to picture in
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your mind what is going to happen before it happens. Run through it step by step to relieve stress and feel in control of the exam situation. Write down a few positive affirmations you can use on the day to remind yourself that: You’ve got this! Also make a checklist of what to take to the exam venue – stationery, water bottle, any requirements such as a registration number or ID book, a lucky trinket you think will bring you good juju during the exam.
ON THE BIG DAYS
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Make sure that you have plenty of time to get to the venue before the exam begins, so that you don’t have to rush. The last thing you need is a panic situation on the morning of an exam! Eat a healthy breakfast to give you sustained energy – wholegrain cereal, eggs, bacon, oatmeal or sugar-free muesli will do the trick. Sugar and caffeine may give you a kick-start but will drop you down after a couple of hours and possibly cause more anxiety and brain fog than you started with. Avoid last minute cramming – if you don’t know your work by now, it isn’t going to solve the problem. It will just make you more anxious, and brains don’t function clearly in that state. Calmly going over important facts for the last time is a good idea though.
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Take a few deeeep, sloooow breaths. And stay away from classmates who stress you out – you don’t want to absorb all that ‘spun out’ energy. You can always catch up with them after the exam to compare notes and experiences. Once you’ve read through the exam paper, or a section of it, start off slowly with what you know. If you can’t remember the answer or all the details, don’t let it mess with you; just move on to the next question. You can always return to the questions that you have left out at the end.
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Get into the flow of the exam paper. The more you answer, the more your confidence will be boosted, and you’ll feel calm and centred. It’s a positive feedback mechanism. Make sure you leave a few minutes to proofread your work to finish on a strong note – so that when you walk out that door, you can put it all behind you and focus on celebrating your success and freedom. PM
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6/29/22 4:34 PM
