The key to achieving the best possible outcomes in exams is to maintain a sensible balance of revising, leisure time, rest, and appropriate nutrition.
Learning to revise effectively and prepare for exams is a core part of student life as well as essay writing and will have a major impact on examination outcomes. It is essential to make taking care of one's mental and physical health and well-being a priority during this period.
Exam Survival Requires Maintaining Balance
Spending umpteen hours cramming in the days or hours leading up to exams might work for some but for others, it can have a very negative effect upon both mental and physical well-being. The brain will not be able to cope with continuous intensive hours of study as at best the average person can only concentrate for around 30 minutes before requiring a break. Equally, having a laissez-faire attitude to revision and exam preparation is not helpful as to achieve the best results possible adequate preparation is crucial.
The exam period requires students to be able to maintain a healthy balance between four main areas revising, socializing, sleeping/resting, and eating a nutritious diet. If any of these four aspects are omitted it is likely to cause individual problems both in the short and long term.
Revision and Exam Preparation
As anyone who is currently taking important GCSEs, a level courses, or university exams knows only too well, revision planning is vital to achieving one's goals in terms of grade outcomes. Begin by getting a copy of the syllabus and any past papers and then check off key subject areas which require fine-tuning and create a revision timetable. A whole range of different revision techniques may be used in the run-up to exams including using memo cards to list key facts or terminology, spider diagrams, mnemonics, and parrot-fashion learning. You might even want to set up your own mock test beforehand with the likes of Quizgecko, which offers a service that automatically generates shareable online quizzes, tests, and assessments that'll help you prep before any big exam. The key to successful revision is to find which approaches suit one's learning style the best.
Last-minute reading of memo cards or listening to a Dictaphone of recorded facts can be helpful to ensure key points are not forgotten. However, one mustn't spend the run-up to the exam cramming in new facts as this will likely cause a significant increase in stress levels.
Sleeping and Resting Before Exams
Everyone requires a certain amount of sleep to perform at their best and pulling regular all-night study sessions before sitting exams is rarely an effective use of time and energy. Try to aim to get around eight hours of sleep the night before each exam and maintain a sensible sleeping pattern. As exam stress and anxiety can often wreak havoc on the ability to get to sleep or remain asleep it is important to make sure one has a few additional relaxation aids to hand.
Lavender oil placed either on a pillow or in the bath can help as well as hot milk or even a herbal drink such as chamomile tea. Another simple way to reduce stress is to write down before going to bed the issues that are worrying or causing anxiety and that typically helps reduce the thoughts rushing around one's head.
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Nutrition, Relaxation, and Exam Preparation
Never underestimate how much a healthy diet can affect the ability to concentrate, remember important facts, and maintain the energy levels required to achieve one's best in exams. Skipping breakfast before a morning exam will not help at all; even just grabbing a banana en route can make a real difference. Remember to bring a water bottle or energy drink into the exam as dehydration has serious consequences in terms of increasing tension and headaches. If possible bring a few squares of dark chocolate into the exam to eat halfway through to provide an instant energy boost.
Relaxation time is just as important as resting, eating well, and having an effective revision plan or timetable. Especially important is getting regular physical exercise whether it be walking the dog or going for a bike ride with a friend. The night before an exam or in-between exams it is often useful to give the brain a chance to rest by watching a film or going out with friends for a meal.
As highlighted above, the key to exam preparation and survival is maintaining a healthy balance of nutrition, sleep, leisure time, and revision. To avoid the likelihood of getting stressed out, these four areas need to be prioritized.
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