Exams can be a stressful time, but they don’t have to be. By following some of these tips you may be able to help ease and reduce your stress before and during your next exam.
BEFORE YOUR EXAM
Know your content. It helps to study your course material early on in the semester. If you haven’t been prepared since Week 1, start as soon as you can. The more content you have covered, the easier your exam will be.
Test yourself. Attempting past exam papers can be a great way to navigate how you will apply yourself to the real exam. This is a great opportunity to time yourself and get familiar with how the questions are structured.
Sleep, eat and exercise. Make sure on the days leading up to your exam that you give yourself a decent amount of sleep, exercise and eat healthy meals. It is easy to forget about self-care when you are studying hard before your exam.
THE DAY OF YOUR EXAM
Be prepared. The night before your exam, make sure you have packed your bag with all the exam materials you will need. Having a checklist that you can tick off as you pack an item can also be helpful. On the morning of your exam make sure you wake up with plenty of time to get ready for the day and set up multiple alarms if you have to. Eat a wholesome and healthy breakfast to kick start your energy for the day and try to fit in a short walk to help get any nerves out and clear your head.
Stay away from stress. Try to arrive early at the exam venue with enough time to settle in, you don’t want to be stress about being late. Keep away from conversations which could raise your stress levels. Stay positive and keep a relaxed frame of mind until the moment you go into the exam venue.
Have a routine. In the exam venue apply your own personal exam routine. Your routine can include placing your pens and pencils in a spot you prefer, having your water bottle in close proximity, and making sure you are comfortable.
Keep focused. Don’t let any nerves get in the way of the content in your head. If you feel lost whilst reading a question look at the keywords and highlight or underline them, read the question multiple times, and ask yourself how you can apply your knowledge.
If you are feeling overwhelmed ahead of your exams, always remember that the Student Wellbeing Advisory Service is a free and confidential service that all Curtin students can use if they need someone to talk to.
Best of luck for your upcoming exams, you have got this!
Written by public relations student Nathan Kerr
