How to keep calm in exam season

With A level and GCSE exams starting next week and grading returning to pre pandemic standards, it is hard not to feel worried, anxious and stressed. However there are a range of things that you can do to help deal with the stress that you might be feeling...

DEVELOP GOOD EXAM HABITS

Not just on the day of your exam but for the whole exam period. These habits will help you concentrate as well as reducing stress:

Take frequent breaks. Psychologists say we can only concentrate properly for 30-45 minutes. You could use a technique like Pomodoro, that helps you to take regular breaks. When you do take a break make sure you don’t stay at your desk, you could go for a walk or even just make a cup of tea!

Eat well. Keep a good blood sugars level to avoid highs and lows of energy, by eating slow-release foods like bread, rice, pasta, fruit and veg.

Drink lots of water. People often underestimate how much hydration helps the brain to work properly!

Think about when and where you work best. Not everyone is a morning person, and some people don’t find the library a productive place to work. There’s no one best place or time to work - it’s about what works for you.

Keep active. Even a short walk will do. Exercising is one of the quickest and most effective ways to destress. Fresh air will clear your head and perk you up.

Try to get about 8 hours’ sleep a night. If you’re stressed about not being able to sleep, there are lots of ways to aid a good night’s sleep.

Find activities that help you relax. Maybe it’s a hot bath, watching a TV show, or a creative activity. Schedule this down-time into your timetable.

THE FIVE P’s

Proper preparation prevents poor performance! Make an exam plan (hopefully as you did for revision!) Picture your exams as a time-bound project. Are the exams 10 days away? That’s your 10-day challenge. Once you’ve got a plan, you won’t have any more dilemmas at the start of the day about what to work on.

Work out the basics: which exams you have, how the marks are allocated, and how much you have to learn for each one. Don’t expect to learn everything; but having in mind where you’ll get the marks can help you prioritise.

Schedule in plenty of free time to unwind, and protect this time. Nobody can work all day every day. If you give yourself plenty of rest you can do the same amount of work in half the time or less.

Equally, don’t panic if you go slightly off schedule - tomorrow is another day.

KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE

Lots of people will tell you this, because it’s true - exams aren’t everything. Exam success doesn’t define you as a person.

Think about how far you’ve come already, the work you have put in. What you have achieved in your mocks.

Once you’ve done an exam, try to forget about it. There’s nothing you can do about it, and worrying won’t change your mark.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Check out this brilliant article on how NOT to cope with exam stress - https://www.topuniversities.com/blog/how-not-cope-exam-stress

Here are some highlights:

Don’t set yourself ridiculous goals. Nobody can revise 10 topics in a day! Avoid setting the day up to be a disappointment.

 Don’t cut out all the enjoyment from your life. It’s tempting to decide you’ll just knuckle down to work and “focus”, but this is counterproductive - it’s impossible to focus without giving your brain rest by doing other activities.

Avoid stimulants. Caffeine, alcohol, drugsand TikTok impede your energy and concentration in the long term. It’ll also make it more difficult to get that much-needed sleep.

GET SUPPORT FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Don’t be put off by friends saying that they are doing huge amounts of revision. As already mentioned, that’s probably not actually a productive or efficient way of working long term. One of the key reasons people feel exam stress is due to comparing themselves to other people.

If you can, discuss with your parents what they are expecting you to achieve. Parents with steep or unrealistic expectations will just add unnecessary pressure. It’s helpful to let them know what you think you have the capacity to achieve, and to insist that the best way to get there is to have support from your parents, not pressure.

If you’re feeling really worried or anxious, chat to a good friend, family member, or tutor. It helps to get it out of your system, and they may well be able to help think about practical strategies to deal with exam stress.

There are lots of organisations out there that are able to offer support, help and guidance – check out the resource page of my website https://www.braintrain.me/resources