10 top tips to help alleviate exam stress.

We all know that feeling, we know we have exams coming up, we know we have lots to revise, but we so overwhelmed that we just don’t know where to start. Here are some tips which will help you plan your time efficiently and optimise your results.

1 Plan

James Baker (President George H. W. Bush’s former Chief of Staff), coined the phrases the 5 Ps: “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” The key to a good study schedule lies in your planning. I may be useful to use your phone or computer’s calendar function, an online planner, or just good old-fashioned paper and pencil. First mark the dates of the exams in the planner. Then add any out of school commitments, clubs you attend, sports games, great Aunt Edie’s birthday party you are expected to attend. This will give you the exact number of days and hours you can devote to study.

2 Prioritise

There’s a number of ways you can do this, and you need to find which works best for you, just make sure you have covered all the content you need to the best of your ability. Some people prefer to start with the subjects they know best, skim the content and ensure there are no gaps in their understanding, put that to one side, safe in the knowledge they are prepared for that exam. This gives more time to focus on the weaker subjects. Other people may prefer to tackle their weaker subjects first, ask questions of teachers as they arise. This technique also allows you to return to the subject a few times before the exam. Whichever way you choose, just make sure you aren’t just procrastinating, convincing yourself you are studying when really, all you are doing is going over content you already know.

3 Review and revise

According to the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve principle, we forget 70% of what we have learned within 24 hours. Revise new material immediately after class and visit the difficult topics little and often. By over learning in this way, the information is more likely to be retained. This can be combined with practise papers, work out what you have retained, then revisit the content you haven’t. Eventually, you should have nailed it all!

4 Find your preferred learning style

It is a well-known fact that we all have our own preferred learning style. You maybe a visual learner (words and pictures), an auditory learner (by listening to or explain to others through spoke word, or even song!) or a kinaesthetic learner (by doing or movements). Maximise your study time by using your preferred style. If you are a visual learner, make posters, flash cards, flow charts, even Powerpoints to display key facts. Posters could be placed around the house so you can read them whilst brushing your teeth, making breakfast, even using the toilet!

If you are an auditory learner, record key facts using a voice recorder and listen to them back during the day. Make up a rap or song to remember key facts or formulae. Listen to key texts via audio book whilst falling asleep, walking to school, etc. You will be surprised how many quotes stick in your head, this way.

Kinaesthetic learners might make up body movements to represent key words of a formulae, clap out dates, make themselves an obstacle course of key dates. Use whichever method works for you, don’t worry about looking or sounding silly!

5 Find your place

Workout the sort or environment suits you best. If you need a distraction free zone, move your phone, tell friends and family you are studying and need them to leave you alone during your study slot. You may find being away from home more conducive, the library, even a quiet coffee shop. Do you work better sat at a table, or are you a floor and cushion dweller? Being comfortable removes a further distraction.

Some people feel they need background noise or music to help them concentrate. Calm and ambient music can drown out distractions, help calm anxiety and more importantly make a boring job more enjoyable.

Ensure your space is the correct temperature, well lit and comfortable. Make sure you have enough drinks and snacks to get you through your session.

6 Use your time effectively

Our brains generally can generally only effectively concentrate for 30-45 minutes at a time. Break your work up into chunks and take a 5 minute break, walk around the room, change task, any of which will refocus your mind for another session of study. This method will optimize how much information you can retrain and allow you to study smarter.

7 Test yourself

As mentioned earlier in the article, a good way of seeing how much you have remembered is through using past papers and practise tests. This will help you focus on what is likely to be asked on the exam, plan how you will structure your answers and focus on the gaps in your knowledge. The results will also help boost your morale, when you feel like you don’t know anything! Another way is to tell a friend everything you know about a topic, you will be surprised at how much you remember.

8 Work with a buddy

There’s nothing more isolating than holing yourself in a room with a mountain of books in front of you. A good study buddy can make the chore more enjoyable, you can share knowledge and keep each other motivated. Just make sure that you are both working towards your goals and are not a distraction. You might feel like a tutor could help you with this. They will have been through this before, will have lots of great tips and can help answer your questions as they arise.

9 Look after yourself!

To have a healthy mind, you need a healthy body. Make sure you are eating well and regularly, you are drinking plenty of water, spending time with friends and family and are getting plenty of exercise. Most importantly, make sure you have a good sleep routine. You will study better when happy and refreshed.

10 Keep your goal in sight

Remember, in the grand scheme of things this is just a short moment in your life. Keeping calm, focussed and organised you will smash your goal. You don’t know what you can achieve until you try!