OK first things first. Exams are horrible. They always are they always will be and I CERTAINLY did not enjoy mine.
However, now that my last exams of (compulsory) education are finally over, I can recognise what small things I did to make my life easier, and also things which I wish I had done more to ease the stress.
1. Look at the bigger picture
This may seem obvious, but when you’ve spent three hours poring over one complex concept under one sub-topic of just one of the subjects you’re studying, it is easy to forget what the point of it all is. Now of course results matter, especially if you are aiming for a certain university or one particular course. But remembering what options we have is very important. Countless adults I have spoken to say that they took A-Levels in subject they aren’t even passionate about anymore, or that they ended up working in an entirely different field.
I am a firm believer in learning and education for the sake of itself: I don’t see why we can’t just learn because we want to. But exams aren’t about learning, they are barely even about intelligence, they are just about an individual’s ability to jump through many different flaming hoops. Exams don’t define us as people, and they certainly don’t govern what we are going to do with our lives.
2. Plan ahead, but in measure
“I started revising ages ago” can be just as damaging as “They’re ages away, I’ll start soon.”
It is definitely important to map out the last couple of months leading up to your exams and think about how much work you plan to fit in. It helped me to write down a schedule, starting well over a month before my first exam and putting down one hour for one subject per day. Breaking it down this way not only makes every day feel more manageable, but also shows what areas in what subjects need the most work.
However, in my personal opinion it is important not to let exams govern our whole lives. Plan ahead of course, but don’t come into college in September already writing daily flashcards and ticking off the days til your first exam. Focusing completely on exams when only a little bit of planning is needed causes unnecessary stress and makes exams far more painful than they could be.
3. Mix up revision methods
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to hardcore revision. Some people pledge their entire lives to stacks of flashcards, others cover walls in posters and mind-maps, yet others churn through every single past paper they can find; and some people simply write notes. I’m not here to prescribe anything in particular, I simply encourage you to keep a diverse range of revision activities open to you.
Don’t be afraid to spend an afternoon simply reading. This can really make sure a key concept is lodged in your long term memory. It also gives a welcome break from essays. For exams which hold largely unseen content (for example, all maths exams and most sciences too) past papers is definitely the way to go, but don’t feel like you can’t go back through your textbooks or rewrite some notes just to give yourself clarification.
There are countless different ways to revise and many methods are tailored to a specific subject so be sure to do some digging online as there are so many helpful ideas on how to revise. From my experience, constantly writing essay plans for subjects such as History and English was not only incredibly boring but also tiring and inefficient. Had I mixed up my revision methods, I’m sure I would have found the period leading up to exams far more enjoyable.
4. Everything BUT exams
This for me is the most important thing to remember during revision and during the exam period. It is easy to feel like exams are the only thing that matters whilst they are right in front of you, but it is essential to remember other normal human needs.
Social: humans are social creatures and we need some form of stimulation to keep psychologically healthy. Having a short break from revision to socialise can mean that your head is clearer and you are actually far more productive when you go back to work.
Sleep: DON’T lose sleep over exams. It is impossible to overstate how important sleep is in making sure we can function properly mentally. Working late into the night may feel like you are getting the hours in, but realistically these hours of work will be far less effective than a few hours in the morning after a long night’s sleep.
Activity: Sport is clearly not for everyone. Running is not many people’s forté. However, any kind of activity is great to clear the head and increase motivation. Even if its twenty minutes of yoga before bed or a couple of regular fifteen minute walks during the day, it is important to do something which can help you physically relax. Stress and tension manifest themselves in the body, and it is not until you do some form of activity that you will realise how tense you are. As you’re reading this now, check for yourself: is your jaw clenched? Are your shoulders unnecessarily hunched?
Finally, drink plenty of water, eat healthily and take general care of yourself. It is easy to forget these basic parts of life, but they are essential to making exams less painful.
5. Put the hours in from the very beginning
This is going to sound rather condescending and unhelpful, and not like a tip at all. However, I feel from personal experience what could have made exams far easier is having been focused from the very beginning.
If you are on a course which ultimately ends in exams, it is easy to think that they are all that matters. However, if, like me, you take a while to get into gear and start learning the course in an efficient way, when you come to revise however many months later, you will find yourself having to re-learn the content.
I certainly found this when revising topics I could barely even remember, and found myself wishing I had been on the money from the very start.
GOOD LUCK!
This is only a very limited list of ideas I had with which to make exams a lot more manageable. There are countless more resources out there. Speak to friends and family for suggestions and help, and remember to be confident.
Til next time,
Stay Hydrated.
