Exams
Most of us have to go through the nightmare of exams or similar kinds of test at least once in our lives. Unless they’re sex quizzes in the back of Loaded they tend to make us tense, nervous and even panic stricken.
Passing exams isn’t the most important thing in life, but in order to do things like go to college or drive a car they’re a necessary evil.
Nerves
Nearly everyone suffers from nerves before an exam, and this can be good as the right amount of anxiety can spur us into doing the work that the exam requires.
Too much anxiety, however, can be damaging. It can cause sleepless nights of worrying about failure – and it’s very hard to concentrate on anything if you haven’t had a decent night’s sleep.
Revision
Unfortunately, there’s no short cut to exam success but you can do things to improve your chances of success. Start revising early and make a study plan and stick to it. Prioritise your weakest subjects and practise doing timed questions using old exam papers.
On the day
- Look at your brief revision notes
- Arrive in good time
- Don't listen to scare-mongering from others
- Give yourself time to settle down
- Read the instructions on the paper first
- Read the questions carefully
- Plan your timing and write it down
- Adapt what you know to the questions if they seem hard
- If you get stuck write notes. This may jog your memory
- If you run out of time, write the remainder of the answer in note form
- Don't try to write everything you know, answering the question is enough
- Don't try to be a genius, just answer the questions
If you don't pass
Although failing an exam can feel like the end of the world at the time, remember it’s only a temporary set back. It may mean putting your plans on hold for a while to do retakes; this is worth it if it will benefit you in the long run. It’s never too late to retake them and if you really don’t feel that exams are for you, look at other things you’re good at. Then go out and do them.
Failing an exam doesn’t mean you can no longer be happy.
Treat yourself
Planning a treat for the day the exams finish can help give you the feeling that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps indulge in a few guilty pleasures like watching trashy films, eating deep-fried Mars bars or buying a pair of absurdly over-priced trainers.
