Worried about stressing out during an exam? Don’t be! Our student blogger Kyle has 7 tips to keep you feeling calm and zen in the middle of the exam hall.
1. Forget about it
Number one piece of advice to avoid exam stress is to forget about the exam! Just treat it like it’s no big deal and relax, take the time to read over every question and plan out your answers. Take it slow and take it easy!
2. Pack a pencil case
It pays to be prepared! So dig out your old school clear pencil case and pack it full of everything you need. That way you’ll be prepared for anything that comes up. Whether it be a broken pencil, a lack of ink or a surprise where you need a protractor. This way you won’t have to stress about things going wrong and won’t have to waste time asking for a pencil from an invigilator.
3. Easy questions
One of the best ways I find to get rid of some extra stress during an exam is to do the easier questions straight away! This way you get them out of the way quickly and can rest safe in the knowledge that you’ve secured some guaranteed points. You can also devote more time to the harder questions and make sure they are answered as well as possible.
Remember, this is just what works for me! If you don’t think it will work for you, don’t risk your result by changing your style on a whim!
4. Remember something else
There’s nothing worse than sitting in an exam stressing out about not being able to remember an important piece of info. Especially when you know that you’ve revised that more than a thousand times. If this is happening then it’s time to take a deep breath and think about something else. Sometimes thinking about the room you were studying in, or a sound that was in the background can help give your memory the little spark it needs.
5. Bring a watch
Now usually there’s a giant clock on the wall in an exam hall that counts down to how much time you have left, but that can be a little intimidating. So sometimes it’s better to just use your own watch. It can help you keep track of the time better and you won’t have to keep looking up. Plus, it’s always a good idea to use the clock to split up the time you have between the questions you have to answer.
6. Don’t compare yourself
If you’re stressing out during an exam, sit back, take a breath and chill out for a few seconds. Don’t get too caught up in what everyone else is doing and take the exam at your own pace. This is especially true when you hear everyone else turning pages and you’re stuck on a question. Just focus on your own work and take it slow.
7. Don’t panic if you go off plan
If you feel yourself going off the point while you answer, take a second to re-read through the question you’re answering as well as what you’ve already written. Make sure you figure out exactly where you went wrong and think about how you can fix it. You might not even need to cross out any of your answer, so long as you can think of a way to bring yourself back to the right point. Just remember not to panic and to take it easy. It’s not the end of the world if you mess up an answer slightly.
