Exams are knocking at the door and you’re freaking out because you’re not entirely prepared? Well, guess what? That happens a lot! Stop stressing to begin with, because that will not get you anywhere. What you need is a plan and if you can pull that out successfully, you’ll surely nail your exams. The right thing to do here is to have an organized approach and to avoid panic attacks. So go through these 12 tips that will help immensely, and then get to work without wasting any more of your time.
Let’s assume that your exam is due in 2-3 days, and you’ve got a whole lot of your syllabus to cover. So here’s how you can go about it.
- Make a chart and Divide your time
That is the first and foremost step. You know how much time have and how many chapters or subjects you’ve got to take care of. So assign the time at hand carefully to each of those subjects. Make a rough idea or a mental time-table and stick to it all costs. You might be experiencing a time crunch, but that only means you’ve to be smart with your planning. Allot more time to things you usually face a difficulty with; the things which you are good at can be completed in lesser time.
- Selective Study
Last moment is the not time to go through chapters line by line. You should have done that before and a very important habit that students need to develop is marking out important parts while they are studying at their leisure. In case you’ve done that, you’re at an advantage. Go through all the important parts carefully. In case you haven’t, look through your class notes or ask your friends. You must have some idea about what’s important. Focus on those parts.
- Get your doubts cleared
At this moment, you cannot afford to have doubts. The moment you have a problem with something, be it a theory, an answer, a diagram, a formulae or whatever, get immediate help. If your teachers are not available, get online assignment helps. They are reachable 24 hours a day, so even if you’re in for a midnight tryst with your books, you’ll have the guidance you need.
- Cross refer
Stay in touch with your friends. No I’m not asking you to sit your phone or laptop all day, do not do that! May be just call them up for a minute or two while you’re taking a break and discuss what you’re studying. Such discussions will remind if you are missing out on something. However, be careful, some friends can be really good at making you anxious by bringing up all kinds of unnecessary things. Use your brain here and pick the right friend.
- Write down what you’ve learnt
If you have the time at hand, try this approach. Write down the answers you were having a trouble with, or the law that you weren’t sure about. Writing things down imprints them more vividly on your memory and there are better chances of remembering. Also, writing frequently increases the writing speed which is another thing that you will need while writing a paper.
- Don’t ignore the diagrams and formulas
Students often make this blunder of avoiding diagrams and formulas at the last moment, thinking they’ll remember it. I don’t know whether it happens with you or not, but a thing that often happened with me was, I used to forget the most common words or things in the exam hall: things I’ve never had to struggle with while I was preparing. So why take the risk? Go through your diagrams and formulas once before entering the exam hall, they’ll stay fresh in your mind and you’ll be able to recall them easily.
- Keep an hour at hand before the exam
What I’m about to tell you is a lesson for life and a very important part of last moment preparation. You’ve got to keep an hour saved for revision before you enter the examination hall. This will be your “actual” last moment preparation. Revise the parts you do not remember, the diagrams, the names and dates: basically everything that you’ve been forgetting so far. Then they become a fresh memory, and you’ll positively remember them during the exam.
- Get yourself enough sleep
Now that you know how to take care of your subjects, you need to learn how to take care of yourself. Many of us ignore our health during the exams, which is not advisable at all. Staying up all night before the exam will leave you groggy and fatigued. Your preparation might be fine, but you’ll not be able to perform to the best of your abilities. Now that’s not desirable, is it? You’re a man, not a machine! So don’t treat yourself like one. Get the rest you need.
- Take breaks while studying
The previous point leads me to this one. While it is crucial that you get adequate rest the night before the exam, it is also important that you take small breaks while studying and preparing. Otherwise, after a certain point you’ll feel everything’s getting jumbled up inside your head and you won’t be in a condition to take in new information. So the trick is to get your mind refreshed once in a while.
Here’s what you can do:
- Take a little walk and get some fresh air, literally.
- Listen to music, the best stress buster and energizer.
- Have a bite. This works for me because it makes me happy and shifts my attention.
- Watch a bit of television or play a game, but it would be better if you don’t stress your eyes too much.
The point is, do anything that helps you to feel relaxed. Pamper yourself for a few minutes. You’ve been working hard and you deserve it. Also, it’s of prime importance that you get out of the room where you were studying in. A change of site refreshes your mind.
- Be Careful about your diet
It’s imperative that you maintain a controlled diet during exams. You know you’re in an anxious state, you’re probably not getting enough sleep and therefore your metabolism is already being affected. Don’t make it any more difficult for your body. Avoid junk food or unhealthy food, and consume a measured quantity. Some of us have this habit of eating when we’re anxious, it might just cause you a trouble during the exam. So play safe, and avoid munching on too much junk.
- Control your anxiety
I get it that this exam is important to you and you’re anxious about it. But really, has it done you any good? On the contrary, you might have wasted hours thinking about all the things that can go wrong or all the things you don’t know about. Seriously, that’s not going to help. Get a grip on yourself. Breathe in-breathe out, try meditation if you can. But personally I suggest, don’t waste time. Instead focus on your chapters, as long as you’re absorbed in your work, you will not have the time to think and hence, no anxiety. And in the process, you’ll end up covering a greater part of your syllabus, which would not have been possible had you succumbed to a panic attack. Be productive instead of idling.
- Keep Calm and Nail the Exam
Focus on the positive. You’ve studied, you know things, and you’re ready to do it. Forget about all the things you’ve left out and believe in yourself. Do not let the stress to get the better of you. So to make a list, here’s what you’ve got to do:
- Let go of your fear and anxiety.
- Keep your cool.
- Focus on the things that you do know.
- Revise as many times as you can.
- Rest your hands; you’ll need your mind and hand to work in coordination during the exam.
- Get adequate sleep and maintain a proper diet.
- Don’t think about other exams; focus on one exam at a time.
- Believe you can do it.
- Attempt all questions and give the answers that come to your mind, unless there’s negative marking, in that case be careful if you’re not sure.
That’s pretty much all you need to know about your last moment preparations. Another suggestion is that, keep ready all things like pen, pencil, eraser, scale, compass or any other thing that you’ll need during the exam. Before you venture out to give the exam, you shouldn’t have to worry about all these stuffs. Keep them ready beforehand so that you can stay focused before the exam. This might not be a part of your syllabus, but this is certainly a part of your last moment preparation.
So, that is how you need to go about your preparation; it is time to get to work now. Study hard and follow these tips. It is only an exam and you’ll hopefully ace it. May the Odds be in your favor!