When exam season comes about, you’ve probably got your nerves in a bundle. From cramming in a semester’s worth of information to keeping your grade high enough to pass, exams come packed with a ton of stress. To deal with the stress and tackle exams like a boss, writing experts have put together the ultimate survival guide to keep you afloat. If you are not excited about reading all of them, you can tell the experts – write this essay for me.
As You Get Closer
Though the exam day is important, it’s not as important as the time leading up to it. Each day leading up to the exam is a day to prepare and practice, getting you ready for whatever curveballs your professor may try and throw. In the weeks or days leading up to the exam, follow these tips.
1. Make a Plan
If you’re an organized person, exams will be a piece of cake. That’s because you want to divide sessions up into bite-sized pieces that you can look through and review over time. So, make a plan that will allow you to cover all of the required material and stick to it.
2. Practice Makes It Perfect
Starting in advance, you’ll have plenty of time to practice. As we all know, practice makes perfect, helping us find the areas we need to improve. Try and take practice exams and answer online questions to see how you do. More than likely, your professor will have some old exams from previous semesters that you can use to practice. It’s recommended that you do so and get a feel for your professor’s style. You can also use the practice to figure out what to study.
3. Use Resources
Nowadays, there are a ton of apps that help make the lives of students much more manageable. From organizing schedules to setting reminders, there are apps for everything. Plus, you can even use online flashcards and quiz makers to help you study more effectively. Apart from studying and organizing, you can use writing resources to help you keep up with writing assignments and focus on the study material you need to finish first.
4. Find Study Buddies
When we study together, we have someone that keeps us accountable. Try to gather up a group with the same determination and drive as you, studying with them a few times a week. You can bounce questions and doubts to one another and test your knowledge with classmates.
5. Create a Comfy Study Space
When you study, you need a comfortable place. Not every student has the same idea of comfortability, though. Find what makes you study best. Think about things like:
- Lighting
- Noise levels
- Seating
- Space
More than likely, you’ve been studying for some time now and know what helps you keep focused. If not, try different things and see what helps you keep focused.
6. Breathe
Don’t forget about your mental health. Take a break and breathe, letting all of the material soak in. You’ll notice that the more mindful you are, the better you can focus better when your exam time comes.
7. Focus on Your Health
Too many students get overwhelmed by their study schedule and stop taking care of important things like their health. Nourish your mind and care for your body with healthy foods that power your brain and keep your energy levels high.
On the Big Day
Once the prep work is out of the way, you’ll be more than ready on exam day. Though it’s normal to have some nerves, the more you prepare and practice, the more ready you will be. On the big day, here are a few things you can do.
1. Wake Up Early
Don’t hit snooze 20 times and leave dashing from the house 5-minutes before the exam. Instead, plan to wake up early. Take a cold shower to wake up, eat a good breakfast, listen to your favorite exam day tunes, and chill until it’s time to leave. The earlier, the better, maybe giving you time to stretch or do some cardio to get your blood pumping and wake up.
2. Check Your Bag
Sometimes, professors require that you bring things along with you like pencils, pens, blue books, or scantrons. Whatever you typically carry, you need to do a final checklist before you leave the house. Check and check again, ensuring you have all that you need to take your exam, double-checking to be on the safe side.
3. Leave Early
On the big day, don’t walk in late. The later you are, the more anxiety you’ll have. Take off early and walk briskly, have a seat, and enjoy the breeze before taking the exam. Walk into the exam room with plenty of time and find your seat in a comfortable place.
Pave Your Way to Success
Following our tips to taking exams successfully, you’ll feel better than you ever have. You’ll keep yourself from getting anxious and nervous, walking in prepared and ready. Once you learn the art of good exam-taking, you’ll be able to use it in every single class, never fretting an exam again. Practice makes perfect, and learning how to manage your time is key to successful exam taking.