Anxiety. Stress. Concern. Anticipation. Restless. Fingers fidgeting. Legs shaking. Nightmares every. Single. Day.

 

This is the ‘reality’ of exam season. But it doesn’t have to be.

 

With exams coming up, whether they’re End of Years or GCSEs or something else, it’s important to not let all that stress and anxiety creep up on you and swallow you whole. To do the best you can, your brain needs to be present and active, and that’s virtually impossible to do when you’re overcome with these. Of course, stress is normal, and even healthy when within its limits, but it’s easy to let it out of control. So here are some tips to help you through it all:

 

1. Keep clear goals when revising.

One of the biggest contributors to stress is under confidence. Thinking you don’t know something makes you forget it. Which is why your revision should be top notch. Evaluate yourself, set goals to achieve and achieve them! It’s definitely a confidence-booster when your checklist is all ticked off!

 

2. Keep a diary.

It seems cliché, I know, but sometimes, all of these emotions end up getting bottled up as you revise and sit exams and revise and sit exams and- you get the point. But it’s unhealthy to keep that pressure building. A diary means you can let it all out, every night, and lessen your load just a bit. It might not seem like much, but it’s something.

 

3. Revise with friends.

Friends have a way of making even your worst fears seem funny and ridiculous. And they also have a way of inspiring you to work hard and do well. Both of these combined makes the stress of revising less cumbersome, and more motivational. Plus, it helps you learn things you may have missed, or vice versa.

 

4. Don’t cram on the day!

It’s important to revise a good amount of time before the exam, to make sure you don’t have to learn 3 topics in one day! It is a horrible experience, procrastinating and ending up having to cram even the basics right before. Instead, start revising a good time before to ensure all the knowledge is consolidated and nothing is missed out. Another type of cramming is listing things off as you stand outside of the exam hall. Just take a few deep breaths and have confidence in your knowledge. Which leads to my next point…

 

5. Have confidence!

You’ve revised and managed to effectively learn everything you need to know. But by losing your confidence, you end up convincing yourself you don’t know anything! Have faith in you and your brain- it remembers more than you think!

 

And last but not least…

 

 

6. It is never the end of the world!

And this one applies to me too. Whenever I’ve failed a test, a remember thinking that everything was going to fall apart, and I committed some heinous crime. Looking back a year later, it has not stopped me from anything! In fact, I am stronger from it. There are always things to do if you fail. But it will not stop you from succeeding in life. There are re-tests, careers, different pathways from that point on. And who knows? Maybe it’ll turn out even better!

 

So, all this anxiety, stress, concern, anticipation – don’t let it destroy you. Power through, and I guarantee you’ll do amazing!