The end of the academic year is an extremely high-stakes period. Your performance for the entire year is judged based on just a few hours of exams. Worse yet, grades can’t be improved or annulled; instead, they stick with you until the end of your undergraduate studies and influence the jobs and PhD opportunities that are accessible to you.
In the tips below, I summarise the advice I give to my students on how to navigate through this difficult time with optimal results.
1. Test yourself
Engage with the material as much as you can. This can be in the form of mock exams, extra problems or closed book recall of the material. Be honest with yourself about your work – are you really immersed in the material or just re-reading?
2. Study with your friends
Your friends’ skills and knowledge are the best reflections of your insufficiency. Besides, it’s also much more fun than studying alone and introduces just the right amount of competitive drive that’ll make you work to your full capacity.
3. Do as many past papers as you can
Past papers are naturally the best indication of what you can expect during the exam. Make sure you can solve every problem in all the past papers you can get your hands on and fill in the gaps in your problem-solving toolbox.
4. Manage stress and sleep plenty
While I’d suggest putting as many hours into your preparation as possible, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you should be working non-stop. Your work shouldn’t be at the cost of your sleep or mental well-being as it’s not worth it in the long run.
The truth is, nonetheless, the amount of work and stress you will face during the exam period will be unprecedented by your pre-university experience and you’ll need to learn to cope with stress and mitigate its impact.
What works for stress reduction varies considerably by the individual. I have found exercise, talking to friends and meditation the most efficient. With regards to sleep, I would recommend that you stop working about two hours before going to bed to relax your mind into sleep mode. Not only does sleep play a crucial role in memory formation, but also reduces your stress levels.
5. Accept and move on
If you didn’t do well on one of your exams, don’t lose heart over it. It is likely you’ll have a few exam days where the mental clarity just wasn’t there and that’s perfectly normal. Besides any single exam, there are plenty of opportunities to prove yourself academically.
