Student Blog
Tips on Exam Stress by Amelia Street
My favourite part about exams is the fact that they're followed by holidays. Other than that, they're stressful and don't quite have the same sense of achievement and completion that you get when you let go of an essay and hear the satisfying knock of it hitting the someone else's essay at the bottom of a drop-box. But sometimes you have to sit them, especially if you decide, like me to major in Psych as well as History or English or whatever. So after nearly three years of uni exams here's my attempt to pass on what I've learnt.
Tip 1:
Know what you're going to be tested on and how.
Read your course manual, make sure you went to the last lecture in the course, and know exactly what is covered in the exam and how it's going to be tested. This can go both ways; it means that you'll know what isn't going to be tested and also avoid the nasty surprise of suddenly discovering the textbook content is examinable during the exam. Knowing how the exam is going to be laid out helps you prepare yourself for the exam reducing your anxiety on the day and planning your time before you get in there. Plus, check the basics - make sure you know exactly where your exam is, what time and day, and exactly how to get there (especially if you have an exam at the Racecourse you don't want to get to UNSW because it's a half hour walk from there).
Tip 2:
Plan.
Figure out how much study you need to do and how long it's going to take you to do it. Look at your commitments between now and your last exam and then add in a few spare hours for stuff that you don't know you need to do yet. Depending on your personal style, it might help to make up a daily timeplan showing when you're going to study what subjects, how much you'll get done, when you'll take breaks, when you'll eat, when you'll check your email, etc.
Tip 3:
Be organised.
Once you've got a plan, stick to it. Keep your notes in order and easily accessible but don't let them consume your life. Organise the way that you think as well so that you can see the links between different areas in your courses and maybe even links between different subjects that you may have studied.
Tip 4:
Procrastinate.
No seriously, the reality is that you're going to do it. If you accept the reality and then timetable it into your organised plan, you'll get more done in the long run and feel less stressed. It's kind of like dieting - if your diet involves no junk food ever chances are you'll only stick to it for a pretty short amount of time.
Tip 5:
Setbacks are ok.
Don't freak out when you realise you're two days behind schedule because procrastinating did get the better of you. Keep going, re-jig your plan. You haven't lost the game unless you declare yourself a failure and give up. So don't do it. Keep going.
Tip 6:
Exercise.
It's a great way of helping you focus and keeping you motivated. It also helps you balance your energy levels more healthily than snacking. Make sure you get out of the house every day because otherwise you'll start to feel down and aim for at least half an hour of exercise (e.g. go for a jog or cycle, walk to the local shops and buy milk, challenge yourself to be able to do 10 more push-ups than you manage the first time you try).
Tip 7:
Snacking and other important eating habits.
People often snack during study partly as a feel-good measure, partly to keep their brains functioning, and partly to give them something else to concentrate on. If you're susceptible to this tendency try making the easiest snacks available things like sultanas, dried apricots, fruit, carrots, etc. that are quick to prepare and eat but relatively healthy. Also try to make sure that you do eat a balanced diet. Start your day with breakfast (definitely not just coffee or an energy drink), give yourself a break at a sensible time for lunch, have dinner with some friends and try to avoid take-away (it takes just as long to get it, costs way more, and generally isn't as healthy for you - try pesto, pasta, and frozen veggies, or a quick stir-fry instead).
Tip 8:
Goals.
Give yourself short-term and long-term goals and make sure that they are specific. Break things down into hours, figure out how long it takes you to summarise a lecture or chapter and then set yourself realistic goals about how many you'll get done in each hour period and then take a short break. Give yourself five minutes off and away from your desk (e.g. play with a hacky sack in your lounge room, watch a YouTube clip, dice an onion and carrot for a meal later in the day, teach yourself to juggle).
Tip 9:
Sleep.
Especially the night before your exam, but a good sleeping pattern during the whole exam period is a good idea. If you've managed not to do too much partying and you don't have much of a sleep debt try to aim for nine hours of sleep a night, if you keep this up you'll catch up on the sleep-deprivation of the semester and probably start to need less. Try going to bed at midnight and getting up at 9am if you're not a morning person. This means when you've got a morning exam it won't be such a massive shock to the system.
Tip 10:
Have something to look forward to.
Make sure that each day you've got something to look forward to. I find it best for this to be just before I go to bed, plus it's nice to try to have either lunch or dinner with friends or family (at the same time making sure it doesn't take too much time). Maybe call a friend for 20 mins, read a chapter of a novel, plan for the holiday you're going to have at the end of the exam period, watch half an episode of your favourite TV show. Plus you're probably going to want to see your boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend on Friday or Saturday night and realistically you're likely to stay up late - so long as you plan for that you should be ok.
Hopefully that was at least a little helpful, inspiring, or motivating, or just a good opportunity for procrastination. Good luck with study and exams and the partying (or money-making) to follow.
