Secrets to Exam Success
1. Make sure you are revising effectively. Focus on essential materials rather than sitting and reading for hours at a time.
2. Ask your teachers for help if you get stuck during your revision.
3. Put some boundaries on social media from now until your last exam paper.
4. Don’t spend the night before an exam cramming. You will perform better if you get quality rest and are not sleep deprived.
5. On the morning of the exam, get up early so that you’re not in a rush and make time to have a good substantial breakfast.
6. Arrive at the exam room ahead of time. This will allow you to calm your nerves before you go in.
7. Stay away from anyone who is panicking about the exams. Panic can be contagious- so stay away from people who make you feel worse.
8. Once in the exam room take a few deep slow breaths. The calmer and more relaxed you are, the more alert you will be.
9. If your mind goes blank, close your eyes for a few moments and take a few deep breaths. This will help you regain your composure.
10. After the exam do not engage in a post-mortem. Don’t focus on questions you were unhappy with, instead, concentrate on what has gone well.
11. Make sure to take a break before starting to study for the next exam.
12. Relaxation techniques, exercise and humour are great ways to take dispel exam anxiety.
13. Remember the more you worry about results the less focus you’ll have to the exams papers.
14. Keep some perspective. If you have studied and you stay calm you will do great. If you haven’t studied as much as you should, don’t judge or criticize yourself. Instead, acknowledge the problem and going forward put in place actions to correct it.
Remember the Leaving Cert is a competition for college places. Often times the college course you study may bear little relation to what you actually do with your career. Nowadays there is always more than one route to take. Good luck!
