7/23/2019 Exams Stress Management Tips

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LSE Student Counselling Service

Exam Stress ManagementTips

CONTENTS

1. Preparing for exams

2. Organising your space

3. Organising your time

4. Motivation

. !mproving concentration

". #ctive $earning

%. Practising

&. S$eeping 'etter

(. Panic t)e nig)t 'efore

1*. On t)e +ay of t)e exam

11. !f you start to panic +uring an

exam

12. #fter t)e examination

T)is )an+out aims to give practica$ gui+e$ines to )an+$ing t)e time $ea+ing up to examinations, as -e$$

as some tips a'out t)e exams t)emse$ves. Many of t)e suggestions are simp$e or o'vious, yet at times

-)en -e are un+er pressure -e can easi$y forget t)ese 'asics. !f anxiety or particu$ar +ifficu$ties -it)

stu+y s/i$$s are a pro'$em, you can a$so fin+ information on anxiety, procrastination an+ perfectionism

an+ ot)er stu+ent pro'$ems at www.studentcounselling.org .

1. Preparing for exams

Start a revision programme in goo+ time 'efore t)e exams. 0)i$st you +o not -ant to pea/ too ear$y,

$eaving revision too $ate is an exce$$ent recipe for stress. oing t)e -or/ ta/es $ess effort t)an t)in/ing

a'out +oing t)e -or/

# certain amount of pressure is goo+ for us an+ )e$ps us perform -e$$. ut t)is is +ifferent from t)e

popu$ar game of $oo/ )o- stresse+ ! am -)ic) is suppose+ to impress ot)ers -it) )o- )ar+ one is

-or/ing. Simi$ar$y, maintaining some 'a$ance in $ife an+ some perspective on t)e exams is +ifferent

from t)at ot)er popu$ar game of $oo/ )o- coo$ 5an+ on top of my -or/6 ! am

2. Organising your space

Most peop$e preparing for exams /no- t)ey s)ou$+ organise t)eir time 7 an+ -e come to t)is in t)e

next section 7 'ut fe-er peop$e /no- t)at it )e$ps to organise t)eir space too.

T)in/ a'out -)ere you -or/. See if you can separate out t)e p$aces -)ere you -or/ from t)e p$aces-)ere you re$ax. Even if t)is a$$ )appens -it)in one sma$$ room, create a -or/ing p$ace 5aroun+ a

+es/8ta'$e96 -)ic) contains your papers, 'oo/s, etc. an+ everyt)ing you nee+ for your -or/.

Move a$$ +istractions out of your -or/ area 7 pictures, music, T: 7 an+ put t)ese into your re$axation

areas. Simi$ar$y, /eep -or/ out of t)e $atter, so t)at -)en you are re$axing or s$eeping your -or/ing is

not intru+ing into t)is space.

;et use+ to -or/ing -)en you are in your -or/ area, an+ s-itc)ing off -)en you get up from t)is

p$ace. Creating a p)ysica$ separation of t)is /in+ -i$$ )e$p you to +o t)e same menta$$y.

3. Organising your time

Peop$e are +ifferent in )o- t)ey react to revision p$ans. 0)en t)ese go -rong 7 as t)ey often +o 7 it is

usua$$y 'ecause t)ey -ere p$anne+ too tig)t$y an+ +i+ not a$$o- for sufficient f$exi'i$ity< p$ans nee+

p$enty of '$an/ space to a$$o- for t)e unexpecte+.

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7/23/2019 Exams Stress Management Tips

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earing in min+ t)at p$ans nee+ to 'e f$exi'$e, +ra- up a -ee/$y timeta'$e for yourse$f, first$y putting

in everyt)ing you nee+ to +o< mea$s, s$eep, $ectures, supervisions, s)opping, $aun+ry etc. T)en a$$ocate

time for revision an+ time for re$axing an+ en=oying yourse$f.

e rea$istic a'out )o- muc) time you can aim to spen+ revising. #s a gui+e, if you +ivi+e t)e -ee/

into 21 units 5one per morning, afternoon an+ evening6 you s)ou$+ aim to -or/ in tota$ for no more

t)an 1 units per -ee/, as it )as 'een s)o-n t)at a'i$ity to -or/ effective$y over a pro$onge+ perio+

+ecreases over t)is $eve$. T)erefore, you s)ou$+ )ave " units 5e.g. 2 fu$$ +ays or 1 fu$$ +ay an+ 3evenings6 to +o ot)er t)ings.

#$$o-ing yourse$f time every -ee/ for re$axation, recreation, socia$ising an+ rest -i$$ )e$p you fee$

$ess stresse+ an+ ma/e it more $i/e$y t)at you -i$$ stic/ to your timeta'$e. T)is is not -asting time> it

)e$ps you -or/ more effective$y.

P$an )o- you -i$$ use your time +uring your revision perio+s. ?ou mig)t -ant to $ist a$$ t)e topics you

-ant to revise, +eci+e -)at or+er to $earn t)em in, an+ )o- muc) time to spen+ on eac). !f you )ave

ot)er tas/s to comp$ete 5e.g. rea+ing, note7ta/ing6 you nee+ to +eci+e )o- muc) time to spen+ on

t)ese.

e rea$istic a'out -)at you can ac)ieve an+ stic/ to your +ea+$ines. !f t)ere is too muc) -or/ to +o in

t)e time avai$a'$e, use t)e fo$$o-ing @uestions to )e$p you prioritise