But fear not, we've asked our former students, who have been there and done it, for some of their best tips for coping with revision and exam stresses.
I found that setting realistic revision goals helped me to feel more relaxed. I didn’t put loads of pressure on myself by cramming in hours of revision. Instead, I set little goals and felt good when I reached them.
Learn how to recognise when you're feeling stressed. If you're having trouble in getting to sleep, you feel tired, or you're getting regular headaches, it might be a sign of stress. Put the books down for a little bit and come back to them later.
I found that looking over past exam papers helped me get used to the format of exams. Then, when it came to the actual exam, all my nerves seemed to disappear.
Don’t skip breakfast. Make sure you get up and eat the most important meal of the day. Cereal, toast, eggs, fruit. Maybe all four! Set yourself up for the day, because you won’t be able to think straight on just coffee and chocolate.
Try to avoid huge sugar spikes. Ideally, you want to ensure that your energy stays consistent so that you don’t peak too early and feel sleepy when your blood sugar levels drop. Instead of sugary snacks, try alternative options like; berries, nuts or a high protein yoghurt to avoid this trap.
Herbal tea is my biggest tip. There isn’t any caffeine in it and hot drinks are known to soothe the soul.
Make sure you take regular breaks during revision. A 10-minute break, every hour, during a day of revision can really help to refocus your mind.
Don’t feel guilty about taking a break from revision for a few hours. Watching a film, TV series, or listening to a podcast will help you massively.
If mental fatigue sets in, go for a walk, a jog, or even hit the gym. Exercise is great for the mind.
Revise outside. Sitting inside revising while the sun was out used to get me down. So I took the books outside and felt much better.
Try to avoid talking about revision with your friends. You’ll start to worry that you’re not doing enough and that just causes unnecessary panic!
I found that putting the books away by 8pm was a good way to unwind before bed. I’d spend the evening watching a film and then getting a good 8 hours sleep, waking up feeling fresh!
A bath every night during exam week really helped me to settle down at night; you can even throw in bath salts and bubble bath!
When I felt stressed I did some breathing and mindfulness exercises that I found on YouTube. I watched a few of those and in no time I was nice and chilled.
Try to avoid the exam 'post-mortem'. To be honest, there isn’t a lot you can do after you leave the exam hall, so there is no point in worrying about it.
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