How to cope with exam stress

Fear of exams affects every student to a certain degree. The months and months of build up, along with a growing apprehension of just how important the results may be to their future prospects, can leave many many students becoming anxious and depressed. There is a medically recognised condition called Examophobia, which leaves many students simply unable to take any form of academic test, so acute are their anxiety levels. Thankfully for most students there are techniques that can be employed to ensure the pressure doesn`t become too great, and they are able to make the most of their revision time, and perform to the best of their abilities in their exams.

Perhaps the most important thing to do is to keep things in perspective. Exams are certainly important, but whatever grades you get, you can certainly go on to have a successful life. In the build up to an exam it can feel as if your entire future is going to be fixed by the results you attain, but this is simply not true. Prospective employers won`t just be looking at what grades you achieved, they will be just as interested in your social skills, confidence, and experience.

You should aim to get the most out the intervening time you have before your exams. This means creating some kind of revision schedule. Organisation is key here: you should aim to spend the most amount of time on the subjects you are weakest at. It is important that you are honest with yourself here, and appraise yourself as to your abilities. You will know which areas need the most time, as your pervious work will show those parts of the syllabus you are weakest in. If you don`t create a work plan that focuses on these areas, you will most likely spend more time on the parts of your course you are most comfortable with, and leave languishing the areas that need the most attention.

Try to set up an area at home where you can work. This may be in your bedroom, or perhaps a communal area of your domicile. The important thing is that the area you select should only be used for working, in this way you will get yourself mentally in gear once you sit down. The internet is certainly a wonderful resource, but it is all too easy to spend many hours being entertained to no academic benefit. Make a pact with yourself: when you are seated in this place of work you do nothing else there but attend to your studies. If you want to use your phone, or use the internet recreationally, you should change your location. By adopting these practices you will find yourself less prone to distractions, and able to spend more time on your work.

Understand that you will get stressed, and that it`s ok. Being nervous about your exams means you are taking them seriously, and that in itself is certainly a good thing. Being utterly indifferent about them would actually be more concerning. There are many things you can do to attenuate your stress levels, perhaps the most simple one is to breathe. If you feel like you are suffering from information overload, and that everything has just become too much, close your eyes, and just focus on your breathing. You may find it helpful to practice mindfulness techniques at least once a day - there are plenty of online resources that will teach you quick and easy methods to lower your stress levels: UCL`s `10 Minute Mind` is a quick and approachable tutorial.

Eat healthily and don`t forget to exercise! The old adage `healthy body healthy mind` is certainly true. If you want be in top form in the exam hall, you should take some time to exercise your body. This doesn`t mean you need to start training for 10k runs! but a brisk walk once a day will do wonders for your energy levels, whiles also helping you de-stress. You might hear stories about friends studying all night long, cramming 12 or 15 hours of work in each day, but these schedules (which are certainly exaggerations) will be inefficient, as their brains will simply be unable to assimilate information for such extended periods of time. We are naturally geared to work in the day, when the sun is up, and though the evenings can certainly be productive, you should refrain from burning the midnight oil, and ensure you get a good eight or nine hours sleep. Keeping a good sleeping cycle will mean your mind is well rested, and able to work at its optimum capacity.