Date: 28 September 2012
It's time for exams so preparing now can mean great results later.
It's a fact of study - exams are stressful. So - here are a few things to do the night before to maximise your concentration and help you do the exam the best you can on the day.
- Check previous exam papers for your unit to get an idea of what your exam might be like.
- Double check the location of your exam the next day.
- Check you have got transport sorted out, which leaves a bit of extra time e.g. to avoid panic if the bus is running late.
- Make sure you have the correct stuff for the exam e.g. racing to the bookshop for a 2B pencil or frantically trying to find a spare book for an open book exam will only add stress.
- Have an exam plan (or a time budget). Basically, this is a plan of what to do when you get into the exam to avoid panic. Use any info provided in your unit (e.g. 2 hour exam, 10 mins perusal, exam type, 1 essay responses, 5 short answer questions) to know that as soon as the exam begins you can read the whole paper (10 minute perusal); write the essay (40 mins); write the short answer (70 mins); and proofreading (10 mins) or how many minutes you can roughly spend on each multiple choice question (no of questions/no of minutes) to avoid running out of time.
- Get a good night's sleep. There's only so much cramming you can do, before your brain will be too tired the next day. If revision is last minute, at least have an effective plan to make the most of your time.
There are lots of resources in Studywell to help you prepare for your exams, and Counselling Services has some tips to stress less around exams.
Content sourced from QUT News Web Service.
