Final Exams – 5 Steps To Be Perfectly Prepared For Your Exams
Alas, the Easter & Bank holidays are almost over and for many of you the last few weeks may have been spent sleeping, watching Netflix and going out getting drunk. However, now its time to get back to University mode where you’ll be forced to spend your weeks relaxing, watching Netflix and going out getting drunk. Wait, that’s not too awful. What is awful however is the exams, which many of you will be staring down the barrel of at some point this month. We understand the stress of exams can be horrible, but just like seeing Piers Morgan on GMB every morning it’s something we all must go through. The good news is the suffering of revision and stress is almost over. But for now, here are the 5 Prime steps to prepare you for the morning of your exam to ensure you stay on your degree and can carry on binge drinking for another semester.
Step 1: Prepare for success/bedtime reading
Prepare for success! Memory retention significantly improves if you learn just before you go to sleep. Because of this it’s a great idea to have a quick skim over notes before you turn the lights off the night before an exam. Just make sure you don’t overdo it. Getting enough rest is priority number one before an exam, but it won’t do you any harm to go over the major facts, equations or statistics and general information just before bed. This includes planning the route to get to your exam as well as the location and preparing everything you’ll need (books, student ID pen, pencil, other stationary) to ensure you’re not late and don’t forget anything. It’s also a good idea to plan your route before the exam if you’re walking or driving, making sure you know how long it will take you to get to the location of the exam. If you’re getting public transport it’s essential to make sure you know the correct train or bus to get you there early as we all know British public transport is never the most reliable. Finally, double check all of this before bed as you will be much more alert than when you wake up the next day and it will save you crucial time the morning of your exam.
Step 2: Sleep is the best meditation
Although it may seem like a good idea to stay up and cram the night before an exam, when you really think about it, it’s just about the worst thing you can do. The odds of you remembering to stay awake are slim if you’ve been up all night, let alone the connotations of Shakespeare’s plays; the key dates of the English civil war, or whatever else you may need to know for your exam. On top of ensuring you get at least a good 8 hours of sleep, you should also remember….
Step 3: Wakey, wakey…
Probably as important as getting a good night’s sleep is making sure you get up on time. You can only imagine the devastation of taking all the time to revise for an exam only to miss it. As hard as it may be getting up in the morning just remember an extra 10-15 minutes in bed is not worth losing a grade, no matter how comfortable you are. To ensure you get up on time, setting multiple alarms is definitely a good idea. If you’re still worried that the alarms won’t wake you up, get a friend or family member to check on you in the morning to guarantee you’re up and ready to go.
Step 4: Eggs and bakey…
Now this step doesn’t mean it’s essential you have eggs the morning of your exam (however you should, as eggs are life). It does however mean you should get a decent breakfast even if you’re not a breakfast person – it is after all, the most important meal of the day. Although cereal may be an easy option it will probably be better to have something more substantial that will last you during the exam. Bagels, fruit, yogurts are all quick, easy alternatives if you don’t want to make yourself a cooked breakfast. These will provide you with energizing nutrients and fill you up. After all, hunger is the last thing you need during your exam and you don’t want to be the person whose stomach is loudly grumbling in a quiet exam hall.
Step 5: Being early is being on time
If you’ve successfully managed to do every other step on the list then this definitely shouldn’t be a problem. You want to be arriving at least 15 minutes early to your exam. This will give time to relax yourself and prepare for the exam, potentially going over some last-minute notes if you wish. As well this, getting there early will give you some extra time in case for whatever reason you do actually get held up on the way!
So, there we have it. All it takes is a bit of motivation and preparation and if you revise hard and follow these steps there’s no reason why you can’t walk away with that 1st. Then to celebrate you can go out for those reasonably priced student beverages that we all love so much – after all, celebratory drunk is the best kind.
Found this information helpful?
Do you have any revision rituals that work for you that we missed?
Let us know…
We want to wish best of luck with your exams from the whole team at Prime! Just remember, if AJ in our London office can get a degree, anyone can. Now go out there and smash it!
