You may doubt it, but people who aren’t afraid of exams exist. You may even find some of them among your fellow students. But for most of us, mere mortals, exams and tests bring shaking hands, pauses in breathing, and cold sweat tickling our heads. This. Fear. Is. Paralyzing.
The last two years haven’t made studying more relaxed. Factors that caused anxiety before the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t go anywhere and if anything, were complicated even further. The ways students’ skills and knowledge are now assessed are not completely stable, as the “rules of a game” continue to change, and that causes anxiety too.
We’re here to help you to deal with it, become more confident before any exams, and not let your fears destroy your educational career! Take a look at our 7 tips on inner preparation for exam season.
1. Find your best confidence quote for exam
J.K. Rowling once said, “Worrying means you suffer twice.” You can take it as your confidence quote for exam and use good rest as your main weapon in the fight against fear and anxiety. To study well, you have to eat, sleep, and train well. Your brain won’t work at its full capacity if some of these elements are lacking. It’s easier to get into a fear-based trap and even harder to get out if there’s no energy to support yourself.
Sometimes, you may worry about someone else and their success more than about yourself and yours, but remember the plane rule: if you really want to help somebody, first put an oxygen mask on your own face, then help your neighbor. Care about yourself and leave zero chances for fears to grow on the physical level so that you have plenty of energy to help others.
Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay
2. Make a plan and execute it
Have you heard about the Bullet Journal technique? Pick up a planner you like, open the monthly page, and put every consultation, exam, and assignment that you have there, so that you have everything available at a glance. Then take your weekly schedule and fill it out. Look for days that surely will be overwhelming and think about how to simplify them. Like, if you have a free Wednesday this week but two assignments due next Friday, it’s better to take one of them this Wednesday, spending some time to complete it and saving some for the next hard homework period. That’s it.
Planning is a superpower to boost your exam confidence!
3. Ask for help
Well, this point follows from the previous one. If you see that you’re going to fail some assignments or have no resources to prepare for an exam—don’t wait for the hammer to fall on you. Start looking for help; your fellow students can support you with materials, your mentor can help you with some useful advice, and our service can deal with your writing tasks!
Replace your thinking with actions to boost confidence before exam; getting any help is better than just suffering from a paralysis of the will.
4. Practice relaxation techniques
Yes, constantly keep in mind that relaxation is your friend! Breathing techniques, yoga, meditation, fishing, long walks, reading, massage, spas, shopping, embroidery, swimming, singing: literally anything that brings you joy can give you exam confidence boost.
But we should also mention that Facebook swiping isn’t a form of relaxation, nor is drinking your 10th beer with your lads somewhere downtown at 4 AM. True relaxation boosts your mental powers, multiplies your energy, and generates inspiration to pursue your goals. So be sure to choose a healthy option from among the different relaxation techniques, especially before your exam season.
Photo by Matt Moloney on StockSnap
5. Build up an encouraging environment
“OMG, you’ll never pass that exam…” If you hear such a thing from a person in your circle, there aren’t many reasons to believe these words. Some people are just relieving their own stress by saying that. If you have some toxic personas in your environment, try to understand their motives and analyze their reasons rationally. In both variants, whether they are right or not, you’ll gain a profit; if their reasons are realistic and appropriate (like you missed half of the year by avoiding lectures), you’ll find new areas for improvement in your knowledge and request help. And if their reasons were dictated by jealousy or something else and simply aren’t true, you may toss those words into the trash bin.
Your environment should encourage you to overcome your educational challenge, even if it’s not so friendly. It’s your decision how to use everything you have.
6. See a goal beyond the exam line
Your exams aren’t the end of your life. Remember why you’re studying in general? Put that goal in front of your eyes and ask, “Will I worry or even remember this exam when I reach my goal? No, because it’s only one step in a long journey, and things change through the efforts of those people who aren’t afraid of making mistakes.”
You should believe that educational challenges are your friends and an extremely efficient way to dive deeper into studying. Keep them close, but don’t think of them as if they were snakes around your head, but rather as the boss at the end of a videogame level. Once you’ve passed it, the experience points will give you one more level up! Even though the complexity of your educational game can unexpectedly change, don’t lose your head; think about what your inner hero would do in this situation, and you’ll surely find a way!
7. Remember your victories before the exam
More about the heroes. To activate your inner challenger and winner, you have to rewind your memory to your biggest achievements. Feel the pride that was rising at those moments. Feel how happy you were then and how everyone witnessed your glory! Your brain will get a dose of natural stimulation at these remembered times—endorphins will be generated in response to your thoughts! It will help your neurons to work better, react faster, and be more… Confident! Yes! Because your previous victories will work like an automated self-motivation machine: if I made it past all of these challenges, I can do another one!
And with the mood of a total exam conquer, go and get the A+ that you deserve.