It’s that time of year again! That time of year when you can sit outside with a nice cold glass of lemonade, with your feet stretched out in the sun and the smell of the barbeque filling the air. The birds are chirping, the wind is ever so breezy, and nothing can stop you from feeling this tranquillity…… wait, when are those summer exams?
Oh, that’s right, it’s not actually that time of year just yet! Its exam season, and whether you are in primary school, secondary school, college or in a full-time job, exams can cause a lot of stress and bring out, well, the worst in people. From full on mental breakdowns to absolute denial that I have to take an exam, I’ve experienced it all! My question is, why do we get so anxious about these exams that don’t measure who we really are as a person? Why do we get so scared of failure? Well truth be told, no one likes to fail whether that be because of your own ego, your own determination to do well or pressure from your own family but, we get so scared because we're told as students that these exams are our life, that if we don’t do well in them from this point on, our lives will be a raging disaster! Maybe you need a certain amount of points to get into a specific college course that you really want? Maybe you want to prove that you are intelligent? Maybe you just want to do well because you've come too far only for you to fail an exam!?
While we can’t do much about exams themselves, we can do a lot to eliminate the stress that comes with it. With the uncertain situation around the world now with the Covid-19 pandemic, exams are even more stressful at the moment, ie with some countries delaying their exams, some cancelling them and some doing predicted grades! But nonetheless, it is important that we stay together by staying home and keeping safe. But if you do have exams, here are our top tips to avoid exam stress!
Be prepared!
My top tip in dealing with exam stress is to be prepared! (Sorry to all those people who were hoping to get some magical solution by reading this post!) Truth be told, there is no magical fix to getting a good grade in a test or exam if you are not prepared. I’ve taken exams where I haven’t studied for them at all and the stress I felt while taking them was far greater than any stress I felt when taking an exam that I was ready for! When I was prepared, I felt like no matter what question was thrown at me I would be able to overcome it and I know you can too!
View the exam as a chance to show of your hard work and knowledge
Very often, I see fellow classmates and friends get themselves into a state because of the fear of the unknown! They think they aren’t smart enough or good enough to take an exam and pass and are worried a question they don't know how to answer will pop up. But in reality, all the hard work they’ve put in, in the last 2-3 years will help them in their ability to answer a question. Instead of viewing an exam as something you must pass, view it as a chance to show just how much of a genius you truly are!
Use youtube!
Normally I wouldn’t recommend YouTube for studying or anything like that but actually, there are some pretty handy videos out there that cover topics that you may be studying in school or college that will help you recap on the subject. YouTube videos can be great for visual learners also! Just recently, I had to write an essay on the classical book I am studying! I found a series of videos on YouTube that explained each chapter in far greater detail, but in a shorter time frame than it would've taken me to re-read over the book, plus it was clarifying to see which way some of the battle/characters had evolved. Needless to say, I didn’t do too shabby in my essay 😉
Mindfulness, mindfulness, mindfulness!!
I’ll be honest, I love the idea of mindfulness, but I hate doing it. I always make excuses to not do it because I’m “too busy” or I’m being mindful by “watching Netflix” …… don’t be like me! Mindfulness is a great tool to help relax the mind and body and it can be used anywhere! Apps like Headspace and Calm can be downloaded on your phone and you can listen to it before any exam. Instead of getting rigid and tense trying to recall all of the facts for an exam, listen to some mindfulness and trust that you know it!
Believe in yourself, even if you really don’t!
This piece of advice is something that I put into practice every day. If you walk into an exam setting with a negative attitude, you’re going to take your exam with a negative attitude! I understand how hard it can be to have a positive mindset especially if you don’t feel ready to take an exam but it’s so important to say to yourself “I am capable of passing this exam!” Doing something like this every day can really help trick your brain into believing that you can in fact pass the exam- with the help of revision of course. Fake it till you make it!
Ask questions
It’s something I need to improve on myself! Don’t be afraid to ask your teachers or professors or even your bosses a question about something you’re not sure on! Even if you feel like it’s stupid, push yourself to ask! Otherwise, you won’t be able to answer a question on it in an exam if you are confused, and this definitely won’t help with anxiety!
Confide in a friend!
Sometimes realising that we're all in the same boat is all we need to help us feel less alone and a little more confident in our abilities to take this exam head on! Talk to your friends about your worries for an exam, chances are they feel the same and you can work together to help each other revise and test each other on your knowledge.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep each night is crucial in how you perform not just on exam days but on regular days. If you're tired during your 11am biology class, then you're not going to be taking in much of the information now are you? Doctors recommend teens get 8-9 hours of sleep each night! So, stop reading this blog post and go to sleep!
Get fresh air
It may sound just as stupid as getting the right amount of sleep each night but getting as much fresh air as you can each day can really help clear the mind and boost your serotonin levels ten fold! From personal experience I can guarantee that whenever I went for a walk outside after studying for hours and hours I felt much more refreshed and ready to tackle that next chapter of my book! Make sure you also make a plan of what chapters you are going to study that day and don't overdo it otherwise you will burn yourself out!
Avoid stressful people
It's harder said than done especially when you are going to naturally be put in situations where you can't always be surrounded by positive people that you are comfortable with. However, anywhere you can control who you surround yourself with, you should. It sounds harsh, but negative people can have quite an impact on how you view everyday life even if you don't realize it and this can drag you down. The last thing you want while trying to study is a negative attitude so try to surround yourself with positive people where you can :)
Practice exam papers!
I can't stress this enough! It can be so hard to get a feel for what type of questions they will ask you in the exam if you don't practice past papers. Exam papers prepare you for how you should word your answers. They can show you past exam patterns and give you insight into what topics are most likely to come up each year so practice exam papers every chance you can!
Downtime- don’t burn yourself out
It’s ironic that I’m writing this because as I'm typing this very sentence it is 1:51 am on a Saturday morning and I should really be in bed. While creativity seems to come best at night, it is important that you don’t overwork yourself and become burnt out to the point where you feel like you can’t complete tasks such as studying anymore! Take a well-deserved you day!
All you can do is your best!
It’s a time old statement and it's been said to me possibly over a hundred times but it's true. At the end of the day, just sitting through the exam and attempting it is a chance to improve in the future. Unfortunately though you have to be realistic, if you don't put in the work you won't get the result you were hoping for. No one likes to fail but it is the learning experience that matters the most at the end of the day. Remember, feeling anxious is a natural emotion that can help us in (most) situations in life. We all have a natural “flight or fight” response that helps keep us from dangerous situations, however sometimes during exam situations our brains trigger this response because we feel nervous about taking an exam and it can make us want to run! The important thing to do is remember to breathe and know it is ok to feel anxious, get ready to fight for that A+!
We would love to know if any of our readers have any exams coming up soon and feel free to contact us if you need any help! One quick question from us though, would you like us to make a study timetable template? Hopefully this post helped you feel more relaxed about any upcoming exams!
K.xx
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