• 11 May 2019
• Nishikant Kothikar
• education, 11plus

GCSEs exams and also SATs are just couple of days away. And stress or anxiety to many students is a common phenomenon. Some are capable of handling exam fear and exam stress in their own way. Some fall prey to effects of exam stress and perform not so well in the same.

Sometimes, the exam pressure can give you panic attacks. A lot of people find that the stress before exams is often worse than the actual exam and it can be made even worse if they have self-expectations to match or have some comparison parameters in families or friends.

Plan the workload:

• Make a realistic revision timetable for the days of exams and the time available and stick to it. Start planning it now. There is enough time between two dates of your exams at many places and also the half term holiday comes as bonus. Sometime there are two papers on a particular day and some times there are exams on a consecutive days. Accept them as it is rather criticising the same. Start planning your time to prepare these exams.

 

• Make brief notes of your books, notes and essays to make them easier to digest quickly, especially if you don't like the subject or find it difficult.

 

• Add headings and sub-headings, or use highlighting pens and revision cards, key words or charts - whatever works for you.

 

• Work out what revision timetable best suits you.

 

• If you can concentrate well in the morning then do most of your studying before lunch, not late at night when you can't concentrate. If you can study at night then study at latter half of the day but go to bed at reasonable hour and get enough sleep.

 

• Revise very nicely since that is very important.

 

• Try answering questions from past exam papers or explaining tricky answers to someone else to make sure you have understood it.

 

• If you really cannot concentrate it may be because you are tired, hungry, or just bored. Take a break and come back to it 10 minutes later. Short bursts of concentrated revision are often better than hours of staring at the same page.

 

• Always ask for help if there are things you don't understand, and especially if you are feeling, stressed out.

 

• Finally, never forget that there is life after revision and exams.

Keep calm in the exam

• When the exam finally arrives, it is too late to worry, over whether you have revised enough. On the date of the exam, you should maintain your coolness. Here is some more advice from experts.

 

• Have a good breakfast. Getting hungry during the middle of an exam can be distracting, especially if your concentration is already warning.

 

• Check out the details of exams and make sure you know when and where the exam will be!

 

• Give yourself plenty of time to get there and calm your nerves. Rushing only adds to the feeling of panic.

 

• Prepare everything the night before, check that you have packed your bag with everything you will need - extra pens, water, tissues and so on. On the morning of the exam, tension can make you forget something important. So relax.

 

• Talk to the other pupils before taking the exam if it helps to build your confidence, but if it just makes you more nervous, try and find a quiet corner for yourself.

 

• Go to the toilet before the exam starts.

 

• Take time to read the instructions and questions carefully. Many students do badly because they give the wrong number of answers or misread the questions.

 

• Work out how long you will have to answer each question and try to stick to it.

 

• Keep an eye on the time and follow instructions about how long to spend on different sections.

 

• Always keep 10-15 minutes for revision, check for obvious mistakes and ensure that you have answered all the questions.

 

• Try to relax, keep your stress level to a minimum. Nobody can be perfect and all one can do is to do his or her best.

 

• Prepare a revision timetable and set out what topics, subjects you want to cover each day.

 

• The best way to study is usually in short periods and build your timetable in such a manner that you keep some time for relaxation.

 

• Make revising easier by highlighting the most important areas, which you need to study and make notes of anything you don't understand or are unsure about and discuss this with a teacher or friend. You should discuss your course with your friends. You can also give each other moral support.

 

• Make sure you are able to shell out some time for exercise, aerobics, walking, cycling, swimming, dancing - anything to get rid of the stress in your body.

 

• Make sure you get fresh air each day - even a ten-minute walk in the park, round the block or spending time in the garden will help.

 

• Some people find it motivating when they set aside some study time a few hours before a favourite programme they want to watch - it helps knowing that after your study you have something to enjoy.

 

• In your relaxation time - don't even think about work and exams - go out with friends and enjoy yourself, listen to music, do whatever you enjoy and whatever helps you to feel relaxed. That way you will feel more motivated to continue revising after your relaxation time.

 

• Have a balanced diet. Make sure that you always eat breakfast otherwise; you will feel restless and out of energy throughout the day and will not be in the right frame of mind to study. You can only concentrate properly when you are physically and mentally fine.

 

• If you were unable to concentrate, it would be better to have a break for a while and then go back to studies.

 

• Never go to sleep straight after revising - you need to have some relaxation before the end of the day. Maybe have a relaxing bath before going to bed and try to get to sleep at a reasonable time so you are not feeling tired the next day.

 

• Don't leave your revision for last hours

 

• Before the day of the exams check, you have everything you need - pencils, pens, rulers, etc.

 

• On the day of your exams, get up early so you can take things at your own pace - don't rush and get panicky about being late.

 

• Read the whole exam paper before starting the exam as that will give you an idea of how much time you will need for each question.

 

• If you can't answer a question - don't panic - go onto the questions you feel more confident about and go back to the more difficult ones later.

 

• If you feel getting stressed and panicky- take some deep breaths, slow down breathing, this will help you to calm down.

 

• Don't crib after your exams. Give yourself a pat for attempting all the questions. Then relax.

Good luck from Champs Learning!