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Physical and mental preparation for an exam is all about balance. If you study so much that you forget to eat or sleep well, you are hurting your ability to do well on an exam. If you study so much that you burn out, you will do just as badly as if you hadn’t studied at all.
Remember to take breaks. Just because it’s an exam period doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with friends, or go for that jog, or take an hour off to prepare a nice meal. To accomplish these activities, time management is essential. You must be able to work out an effective study schedule and start your studying early. You should block out time to study and make sure to take regular breaks.
The way you treat your body during exams directly affects your performance on exams. If you’re not looking after yourself, you won’t perform your best in an exam. Take care of yourself and make sure that you prepare physically for an exam. Your body is a machine which is used to certain patterns and schedules. Don’t interrupt these for an exam.
Just as important as physical preparation is your mental preparation. Cramming for exams leads to stress and fatigue. Properly preparing yourself for an exam is vital to your success.
Anticipating the Questions
This is a helpful approach for all types of exams:
It is very useful to study in the form in which you’ll be tested. If you have anticipated questions, you’re already on track for this kind of rehearsal. Be sure to think about the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy as these can help ensure that you’re coming up with a good variety of questions. Refer to our series of Bloom’s Taxonomy handouts for more details.
One of the best methods for studying is to form a study group. Talking about course concepts and asking questions helps you engage with the material, though each member needs to prepare in advance. Also, as a group, everyone can contribute some anticipated practice questions and by pooling them, you can create a practice test for yourselves.
Students are not always able to have their exams easily spread out across the exam period. Sometimes you will have two exams in 48 hours or a lot of exams in a very short period. This situation is unavoidable, and you must adjust your studying accordingly. It is in these moments when time management and calm study habits are especially important. Don’t stress out, approach your multiple exams as calmly as you can, but do realize that you will have to study in a much more focused manner.