Exams have a way of creeping up on you, don’t they? It was not long ago that you were starting the academic year, and now your final exams are just weeks away! It is easy to get caught up in the stress and panic of the final weeks, but few things more imperil successful exam performance than unnecessary worry. As such, we thought we would share a few final pre-exam tips that our students have found useful in the past.
- Go for a stroll. The temptation is to sit in your room, staring at your notes. However, as discussed in our post about memorising, the danger with this is that you are lulled into passivity and that you therefore do not engage actively with your material. A brisk walk, whilst listening to, ruminating on or talking about your notes, can work wonders at getting the key ideas sorted out.
- ‘“Talk” you say…to whom?’ Many students embrace the ascetic life during revision time, shutting themselves off from friends and loved ones. This is a mistake. One of the best ways to revise, especially in the final few days, is to discuss topics with friends from the same class. Try teaching someone a topic; try recounting something longer and more complex on the walk that you have now committed to undertake. If no one will accompany you, that’s fine too: teach an imaginary companion; teach the winds! But get outside, as walking also helps you to…
- Keep healthy. “Going monk”, depriving yourself of sleep, food or drink so that you can cram before your exams, is not advised. Just as top athletes need to be in peak condition before the big day, so you too need to be fighting fit to give the best account of yourself. What do athletes also do? They…
- Practice! All the time. There is no better last-minute use of your time than to do practice questions and whole papers. How are you planning to spend the first five minutes of each exam? What reminders are you going to learn so that you manage your time effectively? Such things are best learnt by practicing.
Of course, if you have any last minute confusions about particular topics, or any general exam anxiety, we are here to help. Keystone’s tutors are all experienced test-takers themselves, and would be delighted to offer reassurance so that you can perform as well as possible.