Keep calm and breath. It is a new year, new term and exams. How do you prepare?
Failing to plan is a plan to fail, rule number one.
In your new term are you preparing for exams and looking forward to them? You should be. You know more now than you did before the Christmas break.
Here are 11 (why stop at 10?) top tips for preparing for your exams:
1.Plan you revision
What did you learn from week 1 to the week before you broke up for Christmas break? You have progressed.
Put in your diary the date, time and location of your exam and plan back from that date. Consider, can you revise for two, three or six hours straight? No? Then make sure you plan the length of time you revise and in that time plan which topic out of the subject you will revise.
2.Be realistic with your time and the amount of information you can revise and take in
You cannot rule the world in a day, you can give it ago, however your brain will not like you for it. Same goes for taking in information. All of what you have learnt takes time to process and not just one day or one week. And no you cannot read a chapter in 5 minutes.
3.Be kind to your brain
It is one of the most important muscles in the body and important part of your being. Take regular scheduled breaks (no that does not mean go on social media and start liking people's status). Go for a walk, get fresh air, eat your lunch, dinner and not at your desk.
4.Have confidence and not arrogance
Tell yourself you can pass this exam, failure is not an option. However I refer back to tip 2, do be realistic, however you cannot expect to get a good grade if you do not put the effort in.
5.Sleep
Get into the routine of going to bed and actually sleeping. This does not mean take your revision notes to bed with you. Turn the laptop, mobile phone and TV off an hour before you get into bed. It is scientifically proven that using your laptop or mobile phone before bed stimulates the brain, making it awake and giving you trouble to sleep.
6.Eat well
Fish is supposedly good for your brain. Do your healthy food shop for the next few weeks so you have plenty of food in and this will stop you from snacking on junk food.
Make stir-fries so you include your 5-a-day. Bake a batch of cookies to curb the sweet tooth.
7.Drink water
No caffeine energy drinks which give you a sugar spike and then a come down. Actual water to refresh. Keep bottles in the fridge.
8.Switch off on-line social media
Do you really need to tweet, like or write a status update? If you work out your priority list, your revision and exam is more important than telling your 'friends' and 'followers' list what you had for lunch via social media. This is extra information you are processing whilst not processing your exam information. Ask yourself what is more important?
You could hibernate socially whilst you revise. However, do not panic, if you are worried you will lose followers schedule your tweets so they are tweeting whilst you revise.
9.Exercise
Wake up your body and brain and release the happy hormones. Schedule exercise into your revision plan.
10.Your surroundings
Can you revise with the TV on? Do you need music plugged into your ears? Or do you need silence? OK so let's pass these exams. Work out what is best for you and do it.
11.Other stresses: Do not let it stress you!
So are your class mates panicking about the up and coming exam? Let them and leave them to it, do not take it on board or let it worry you.
Remember we are all different and mange situations and stress in many different ways.
Good Luck!