Exams are stressful, but overcoming exams anxiety is a must for performing maximally. If you write an exam in a panic, you might not read the question properly and end up confusing yourself. Here are tips to help you survive exams.
1. Prepare as thoroughly as possible well in advance of your test date. Cramming at the last minute will never make you feel as though you are as prepared as you could be, making it inevitable for you to feel some degree of doubt about your performance. The more intricately you know your material in advance, the less anxiety you will feel on test day, so stick to a diligent study schedule that allows you to cover and review all concepts by at least two days prior to your test. The night before the test should be fun or relaxing to help steady your emotions leading up to test time.
2. Sleep for eight to ten hours the night before your test to provide yourself with assurance that your mind will be alert and energetic enough for the extended periods of focus that your test will require.
3.Stick to brain foods rich in protein and complex carbohydrates for breakfast and snacks — rather than junk food rich in sugar that will only provide short energy boosts and subsequent crashes — to help keep your brain alert and focused throughout your test.
4. Get to class a little early. If you get there early, you’ll make sure to get your favourite seat.
5.Understand that you cannot do anything more than put your best foot forward. Think no more about worst case scenarios, and focus on doing everything in your power to ensure they do not come to fruition.
6. Visualize success rather than failure. Whatever you have to gain by doing well, picture it mentally in the days leading up to your test. See yourself getting your test back with a top score on it or receiving a letter of acceptance from your dream school/ University.
7. Breathe. Before the test, inhale through your nose deeply and slowly. Then, hold the breath for 3-4 seconds and exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this several times. If you experience a sudden panic during the test, perform this exercise again.
8. Give yourself a positive mental mantra, such as “I can do this,” or “I know this material” to quell any negative thoughts or anxious feelings as they arise. Practice catching negative thoughts the moment they surface — and immediately combating them with your mantra to make a habit of maintaining a flow of positive thoughts.
9. Skip questions if necessary. Don’t spend too much time on any one question. If you get stuck, skip the question and move on. You can come back to it at the end of the test if you have time, and later questions may help you recall the answer to the one(s) you skipped.
10. Act like you’re the only person in the room. Don’t panic if you notice other students writing very quickly or handing in their tests early. Mind the time, and try to work at a steady rate, but otherwise don’t worry about speed. It is not a race.
11. Tell yourself it’s just a test. Really, it is. No matter what happens, everything will be OK.
12. Remember all your equipment such as an extra pencil, ruler, calculator, etc. unless they are provided.
