Student Guide: How to Avoid Stress While Preparing for Exams
Institutions of learning use exams to test whether students have understood the programs they are taking. No matter how prepared you are, some anxiety creeps in during exam periods. It is normal, and there is nothing to be ashamed of when you start feeling anxious.
Approximately 25% of students feel stressed during the tests. But, you can reduce the exam anxiety and have a better experience by using the following tips:
- Study For the Exams
Undoubtedly, this is a sure-fire way to prepare for exams. It boosts your confidence and help you to fight exam fever. Going to an exam room when blank will only make things worse. Stress is accelerated when you find your peers in the exam rooms recapping what they had studied, and you start wondering whether you are doing the same test.
A smart way of studying is by joining a study group. Here, you will get a lot of help since some students always have a way of making concepts easy to understand and remember. If you are not sure of how to write your essays in an exam, you can seek assistance from apps that write essays for you at a request or your classmates.
2. Get Enough Sleep
Avoid the temptation of spending the entire night studying. This habit is common in students, especially when the examination is on the following day. It is an unhealthy habit that should not be practiced at all.
Sleep helps you to relax. Students should sleep for at least 9 hours every night to help them rest well. When you sleep less, your stress levels increase. Also, your brain is unable to focus because it is already tired. Therefore, having enough sleep is one of the self-care routines.
3. Eat
Your body needs the energy to keep you going through. When preparing for the exams, do not be overwhelmed by wanting to complete studying a whole unit without doing anything else. Have some snacks that you can take in between your study.
Besides having some snacks, consider eating healthy meals and drinking plenty of water. A meal is deemed to be healthy when it is balanced with all the nutrients your body needs.
Studying when you are hungry compromises with your focus. Since your brain lacks energy, you will likely go over the same chapter severally without retaining much. Ensure you drink a lot of water without substituting it with coffee.
4. Plan Your Schedule
Planning is essential when preparing for exams. First, it helps you know what to study and when. For example, some subjects can demand more time because they are challenging, while others take a little time.
Allocate time to each subject and be disciplined to follow your schedule. This way, you will maximize your time.
After you have planned your schedule, it is easy to be distracted. Make sure you tell people within your circle not to disturb you during this time. It will prevent frequent visits to your study space and noise. With little to no disturbance, you can enjoy following your schedule to the end.
5. Switch Off
Put your electronic gadgets away during revision. Phones are particularly distractive because you are always tempted to look at all the notifications. Moreover, a lot of crazy information circulates on social platforms whenever the examinations are near.
Some people make it their goal to scare students by posting information that shows how impossible it is to pass exams. Others go ahead and add crazy figures from sources that are unknown to nobody but them to back up their claims.
If you come across such bizarre information when revising a topic, your stress levels will go up. These are accompanied by doubt feelings of whether you should proceed with the exam or not. So instead of exposing yourself to such, switch off your gadgets and focus on your notes.
6. Ask Questions
Can’t understand a particular topic? It is time you make use of your tutors and classmates. These are great resources that can help you clarify unclear points. Instead of skipping that part, consider asking these resources to help you out. Often, when one topic is unclear, it becomes challenging to revise the entire unit because the topics are always related.
You can opt to spend more time in the school environment so that you can easily reach these people. Many students hang around the school when the examinations are near because it provides an enabling study space.
7. Stretch
Stretching is a healthy habit that you should not ignore. Consider it in between your sessions. You can stretch for 10-15 minutes after every 40-45 minutes. Stretching helps with improving your blood flow.
8. Be Open-Minded
Exam results are important, but they do not determine the rest of your life. If you have revised enough for the exam, stop beating yourself too much. Be ready to receive your results, no matter what you score.
Have an open mind that it is not a must to score what you were expecting. Once you have this type of mindset, you can sit for your exam without worries. It is also called a plan B in case your primary plan fails.
9. Organize Your Study Space
Whether you have set up a place in your school library or at home, ensure it is neat and organized. You do not want your brain to be distracted when preparing than it already is by the idea of having an exam.
Ensure your desk does not have a lot of stuff. Clear everything and remain with what you are going to use during the session. It will help you keep your brain focused on your revision.
10. Do Mock Exams
It is a brilliant way of avoiding exam stress. Look for past examination papers to get a clue of what the examiners test. Do as many as you can.
The mock exams are usually available from the school libraries. Ask your librarian to borrow you some. You can start with the most recent, and when you are done, borrow for the earlier years.
If you can’t get previous exams, you can consider using your course textbook. Answer the tests at the end of the topics. Some textbooks have a lot of questions at the back. Open this part and practice answering those questions. It is not surprising that some tutors get a few questions from this part!
Do you struggle with examination stress and would like to have a way to ease the tension? These tips will help you have a better experience each time there is an exam around the corner. Practice them and see how much relief you will get throughout the period.