If you’ve got exam season up and coming, it’s best to be as prepared as possible! Of course, it can be a stressful time for anyone, but the best way of approaching your exams is with a calm and focused manner.
In this blog post, we’ll cover some of the best exam preparation tips which can hopefully help get you feeling confident for your exams.
Give yourself plenty of time
It can be more difficult to motivate yourself to study if your exams seem ages away but giving yourself more than enough time is better than leaving everything until the last minute. Giving yourself additional time allows you to find out which areas you know well, and what you need to pay additional attention to.
You want to go into your exams as confident as possible, so giving yourself as much time as possible to prepare and study is one of the best things you can do.
Create a study schedule
Setting up a study schedule can help you utilise your time more efficiently and can encourage you to stay focused. By setting a study schedule, you can prioritise what you need to focus on, and give extra time to the tasks or areas where more needs to be done. Having a clear focus is important whilst you are studying, as trying to focus on too many different subjects at once can be overwhelming and impact your ability to study effectively.
Take regular breaks
The importance of breaks during studying sessions shouldn’t be understated. Our brains can only concentrate on a subject for a certain amount of time before getting distracted, so it’s vital you take time out to recharge before concentrating on your studies again.
There are several effective ways you can spend your breaks and recharge your batteries. Exercise is one of the best things you can do, even if it means just going for a brisk walk – this will improve the flow of blood to your brain and the fresh air will have you feeling refreshed physically and mentally. You can also spend your breaks meditating to recharge yourself meditating, or simply relaxing by reading a book or watching TV.
Set study goals
Studying sessions where you set goals and have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish are almost always more effective than aimlessly studying. Setting goals can give you a greater sense of accomplishment when you achieve them, which can work as motivation to study further and reach your next target.
When setting goals, it’s better to break them down into short realistic targets rather than trying to get everything done at once. Setting SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timebound) goals is often recommended.
Get enough sleep
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our daily routines, so it’s important you keep a structured sleeping routine during exam season, as this will ensure your energy levels are kept high. Good quality sleep is also essential for being able to concentrate properly, and it will help you to process new information more efficiently. Once you are in a regular sleep routine, you should find it easier to maintain and get the right amount of sleep.
Maintain a proper diet
It’s always important to maintain a nutritional diet but eating healthy food during exam season and avoiding junk food is especially important. Eating nutritiously is essential for optimising concentration levels, whereas avoiding junk food helps to keep you from feeling sluggish and lethargic.
In terms of specific foods, leafy green vegetables, omega 3 from fish oils, as well as berries and nuts are all known to be good brain food – so try and make sure you include plenty of these within your diet!
Organise your study space
It can be beneficial to set up a study space away from any distractions and to ensure your working environment is organised so you can have optimal focus. You should choose to set up your study space away from your kitchen table and have it separate from any areas you associate with relaxing or any other activity – the space should be just for studying. Be sure to keep your space clean and tidy, and this should all help you to keep focusing solely on studying for your exams.
Study with others
One of the best ways you can prepare for your exams is to study with others who are also taking the same exams. Studying with others can benefit everyone, as it allows you to air your thoughts and knowledge aloud, whilst learning from others who have been studying the same topics and areas in detail.
Hopefully some of these exam preparation tips will come in use for you as your exam dates loom!
