Exam Stress? Don’t Sweat The Test!
Eyes down, you have 2 hours. You may begin. If you’re facing these dreaded words in the next few weeks with your GCSE or A Level exams you’re probably feeling the stress and strain of revision.
If you’re a natural planner by now you would have a solid revision timetable, as well as a timetable for taking it easy, chilling out and switching off from school work for a while. If you’re not the natural planner type, by now you’ll probably be flustered, extra stressed out and hidden under piles of books, papers and note cards.
The saying “a little planning goes a long way” is never more true when you’re revising for big exams. At this moment in your life you need to have a clear plan, a cool head and a support system in place from the start of your revision to collecting your exam results. Luckily there are plenty of places offering help, support and loads of advice on revision success.
The BBC Student Life section offers 10 key points to achieving the best results. As well as this, their amazing GCSE Bitesize micro-site is an awesome tool for breaking down the big stuff into really manageable chunks (quite like that bar of chocolate. Nom!) The site offers help in all subjects from Art & Design to Welsh and has activities, games, videos and message boards to help you get to grips with your subjects.
Whilst working hard to achieve the best results possible is all that people seem to tell you, working too hard can be just as bad as not putting any effort into your revision. Everyone needs to chill out; even your mum and dad! Working too hard can actually increase the feeling of stress, disrupt your sleep, lead to poor eating habits which then keep the vicious circle of feeling like you can’t concentrate and do anything going around and around. Whilst everyone tells you how to work hard, have they ever told you how to chill out?
If you’re feeling like it’s all getting on top of you stop. If you follow these tips you could find yourself feeling more calm and relaxed.
1. Eat healthily and exercise- Kind of obvious, but if you timetable in even 15 minutes of exercise your body and mind will thank you for it. Make sure you stay away as much as possible from takeaways, coffee, Coke and other high sugar foods. You’ll soon feel the sugar rush wear off and you’ll feel worse when trying to revise. Try granola bars, healthy cereal and fruit and veg to keep you going.
2. Take Breaks- for every hour you revise aim to take a 10-15 minute break. Do whatever you want in that time (check Facebook, call a friend, play with the cat etc, etc) and allow yourself to enjoy the break. Your brain will love the time to switch off too, making you more alert and ready for when you return to studying.
3. Use Breathing and relaxation techniques- These are key if you’re really feeling stressed and strung out. Place one hand on your stomach and check how quickly you are breathing. If it’s one breathe every couple of seconds, take a deep breath and start counting steadily. Breathe out slowly and try to get the last of the breath out on about five seconds. Carry on doing this until you are doing it naturally.
Relaxation routine
• Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply
• Relax each part of the body, from your feet to the top of your head
• As you focus on each part of your body, think of warmth, heaviness and relaxation
• After 20 minutes, take some deep breaths and stretch
If you can combine good study techniques with relaxing and chilling out, you’re well on your way to success when it comes to your exams. Exams seem scarier than they actually are and as long as you have a good support system of friends and family you’ll soon be wondering what all the worry was for.
Check back in the next few weeks for advice on life after exams and the choices you have. Good Luck!
Images: campdavemorecambe & scui3asteveo
