Exams comparative to sacs or class assessed curriculums is a major farcry in differences. The strictness and the sensation of performing together as an entire cohort is a completely unique experience. So it’s natural to feel anxious about them. However, excessive anxiety can negatively impact your performance. Simultaneously, effective last-minute revision can make a significant difference when exams are just around the corner. Let’s explore techniques to manage and reduce anxiety before and during exams and some effective last-minute study strategies to help you make the most of your time.
Effective Last-Minute Study Techniques
When exams are imminent, effective last-minute revision can be a game-changer. (if you know what you are studying for and understand how much you really have left studying for it). Depending on how much time you have left: One week, 3 days, one day. You gotta understand there is no limit to what you can do, only your mind is the limit. So do your best to avoid corner cutting when following the process and recognise the steps you can skip if you already feel confident. Be effective not efficient!
- Prioritize key topics and focus on the most important and high-yield areas aka where most marks are being tested on. Review your syllabus and visit past exam solutions to identify which areas are frequently tested. For instance, in VCE Legal Studies, key topics such as the court hierarchy, the role of law in society, and landmark cases should be at the top of your revision list. Prioritise those topics first before moving onto more niche topics.
- Once you have determined the niche and not so niche topics. Condense your notes into key points, diagrams, and mind maps. Visualisation of topics and how they interact with each other makes reviewing of essential information quickly. For example, creating a mind map for IB History can help you visually organize important events, dates, and connections between historical figures and events. Rather than just topics with description in it, a mindmap guides you visually and hows to visually determine the link between the topics.
- Practise, Practise and Practise. Flashcards are an excellent tool for memorizing facts, formulas, and definitions. This is especially if your subject isn’t merely subjected to theory basis but also calculations as well. Go through them regularly to reinforce your memory of what the topic is about first (basic understanding can be built upon). If you’re studying for a VCE Chemistry exam, create flashcards for common reactions, periodic table trends, and chemical properties. Then expand on “why” and “how” those reactions occur as opposed to just understanding “what” happened.
- The student becomes the teachers. Teaching a concept to someone else is mostly certainly one of the best ways to reinforce your understanding. Explain key topics to a friend, family member, or even yourself. If you can teach the concept of cellular respiration in IB Biology to someone else, you’re more likely to have a solid grasp of the topic. After all, sometimes you just need someone to correct you on your overlooked mistakes.
- Once you have managed to cram for all those topics. It’s fianlly time for you to simulate or attempt past exam papers under timed conditions. This not only helps you get used to the format but also highlights areas where you need more practice. For instance, practicing past VCE Methods exams can help you identify which types of problems you find most challenging and need more focus on. Identify your weak areas and allocate more time to those topics. by literally repeating step 1-4. Strengthening these areas will ensure that you at least hit majority of the tested components.
Some additional advice:
- Keep your study space tidy and free from distractions. Seriously, all you gotta do is push everything you don’t need onto the ground and problem solved. In fact, why do you even have so much stuff? Most of the curriculum is available online digitally so why the mess in the first place anywyas. A clean environment can help you focus better and reduce stress that’s nothing new. But ensuring that your study materials are made available online will ensure that when you need to study, you’re not rushing back and fourth between rooms to fetch that one pesky book.
- Short, focused study sessions (e.g., 25-30 minutes) with short breaks in between can help maintain your concentration and prevent burnout. Aka Pomodoro Technique, can make your study sessions more productive. Because most people’s attention span has basically deterioated to nothing nowdays. It’s wise to reward ur attention span with equal amount of productivity and negativity. A good rule of thumb is, study the same amount of time that you want to reward yourself with free time. This way, you won’t feel betrayed studying so much for such a little everyday reward.
- Unless you perform better at night. Please get some decent rest and avoid pulling all-nighters. Lack of sleep can impair your cognitive function and memory. Although energy drinks are a bit of a life saver, your liver won’t agree so much in the long term. Ensuring you get adequate rest, especially the night before the exam. A fresh mind is far more effective than one running on fumes.
- Maintain a positive attitude and believe in your preparation. Trust the process, and the process will trust you to succeed. Confidence can significantly impact your performance. Remind yourself of the hard work you’ve put in and trust that you are prepared, even if it means to “professionally yap” your way through the exam. Just note that your current ability is the result of past improvements and continous efforts. And not the result of self doubt and idling.
Techniques to Manage and Reduce Anxiety Before and During Exams
Assuming you have completed the above last minute preparation, you’ve reached the stage of no return. This is literally it, life and death scenario. So if you’re feeling a little stressed, that’s completely understandable. Feel the squeeze in your chest? It’s not anxiety, it’s because you switched your breathing to manual. Avoid thinking about the problem and focusing on the more important goal is topic of discussion now.
- Incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your daily routine can significantly reduce stress levels. But if you’re like any other normal people, you’ll just spend that time relaxing and having fun, as much as IB and VCE is about the exam. Think back on the memories your friends have made and consider the fact that after highschool exams, you just might never see them again. So do yourself a favour, go and hangout with your friends to do whatever you like. Whether that being meditation or another extremely rushed study session fill with procrastination. Just have fun.
- Please sleep for christ’s sakes, it’s not world science. It’s logic, you need it. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, especially in the days leading up to your exams. A well-rested mind is sharper and more capable of retaining information. If you can’t sleep, exercise… If you can’t exercise. Eat a sleeping pill… Just sleeeeeeep!
- Something to note that’ll help you reduce stress is ensuring thta you know the exam location, time, and what materials you need to bring. Being prepared can help reduce last-minute stress. Double-check your exam schedule and pack your bag the night before with all necessary items, such as pens, pencils, calculators, and your student ID will ensure you can study using those extra minutes instead of scramming to find your methods summary book.
- Fill your mind with Positive thinking can also have a significant impact on your mindset. Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations and remind yourself of your capabilities. You got here not just by luck, but also sheer determination and grit. So don’t shun yourself on your hardwork just yet until you get your exam results!
On the day of the exam:
- Arriving early can help you settle in and get comfortable before the exam starts. Use this time to relax and mentally prepare. If you feel anxious during the exam, just have a laugh with your friends. If you’re suffering then they must be suffering too. Share the joy and misery, because you’re “all in this together”. As friends and comrades. So don’t feel too bashed up if you’re anxious, 99% they are stressed too.
- In your exam, take your time to read the instructions and questions carefully. (Fun fact, 99% of the time the question is balantly obvious but if you’re rushing and not reading. There’ll be more more misunderstanding than necessary. So pace yourself, not rush yourelf to the finish line. It’s better to be more effective (to get better marks but take a longer time) than to be efficient (to finish first and perform worse)
- Manage your time effectively by allocating specific amounts of time to each section or question. Keep an eye on the clock but avoid constantly checking it. (Why are you checking out the clock when you should be checking out your exam booklet). Please don’t stress too hard, if you find the questions challenging and time consuming. It’s likely the examiners don’t expect you to finish all of it anyways, accuracy is key in this moment. Because if everyone does poorly, your exam marks get scaled up. So ensuring that you do it right, will mean even greater results.
