If you are a student in high school or college who is due to take exams any time in the near future, then you will be familiar with that creeping sense of panic that starts to bubble up whenever you think about setting at one of those little desks and being put against the clock! You can do all the revision in the world, but if you aren’t relaxed and focused then there is always the risk of making a huge mistakes or being too overwhelmed to succeed. Here are twelve tips for staying calm during exams:
Right down a physical list of what you need to be studying, and in what order you should be prioritising. Having a plan to refer back to when you are feeling panicked can be really helpful.
If you have to, download a programme on your computer where you can set certain websites to be blocked from access. This is really useful for when you find yourself straying onto YouTube and social media.
Turn the TV off, put your phone in another room, do everything that you can to make your study space as sterile and distraction-free as possible.
Clean up your desk and working environment so that you aren’t fighting a lot of mess in order to revise. The cleaner your space is, the clearer your mind will be!
You need to set realistic goals for your studying, for example, you are not going to be able to get through a five-hundred-page book the night before the exam. Make sure to start early enough to get everything done.
If you go too hard, you will crash and burn through lack of energy. To avoid this, set regular break times to relax and recharge so that your motivation levels stay high.
It seems obvious, but it’s worth talking about! The more nervous and anxious you get, the shallower your breaths get too, and this is the worst thing to do if you want to remain calm and focused. Make a deliberate effort to take long, deep breaths to get that oxygen circulating in your body.
You don’t want to be pigging out on junk foods during exam time because they don’t give you the nutrition and energy that you need to conquer one test after another. Eat healthy for best results.
Don’t do that thing of pulling an all-nighter before the big day, because your adrenaline will have been used up during the night, and you will get into that exam and absolutely crash and burn!
It’s important to find the time to still do some exercise when you are revising because those endorphins will do a lot to keep you happy and motivated.
Make sure to treat yourself occasionally during this stressful time. Reward yourself for all of your hard work and it will make you feel better.
No matter what happens day by day, just try to maintain a positive attitude, because as soon as you lose the will to do well, that is when your exams will suffer.