1. Make sure you have everything you need.
I've always considered myself quite an organised person, but for some reason, this is always the area that I trip up on. Turning up without a black pen and having to find someone to lend you one, or trying to smuggle in a non-clear pencil case really isn't the kind of extra stress you need right before an exam. Take it from someone who knows.
2. Go to the loo before your exam.
This one might just be the most obvious, but the most important. Even if you don't feel like it, try anyway, because believe me, after 2 hours of brain-numbing work, your bladder might just change its mind! Plus, girls who may be going through that tough time of the month do not want to be worrying about that aswell as physics equations. I would reccomend wearing some kind of sanitary product even if your little visitor isn't due for another couple of days because you DO NOT want to be caught off guard in the middle of an exam.
3. But leave a lot of time.
Whatever happens, do not try to go to the loo 2 minutes before your exam, because I can guarantee every other girl will have had that idea and it will be impossible for you to get a go and still make it in time. Leave at least 5 minutes, because again, you do not want to be stressing anymore than you already are.
4. Take water in with you.
This is something that I never used to do, but would never look back now that I've started. I think that water is a really good way to keep your brain hydrated and working the whole way through the exam. Plus, if you're in a particularly long one, it may be nice to just put your pen down for a moment, drink some water and have a short brake to give your brain chance to refresh.
5. But don't fill your bottle up.
This is actually a tip that a friend gave to me, and I found it very useful. If you're waiting outside the hall for an exam to start, you will just start drinking out of nerves. If you have a full bottle, you may find that you've finished it by the time the exam starts, and 20 minutes later you're desperate for a wee. If you only fill it up half way, you have to moderate it, to ensure it lasts the whole time.
6. Revision outside the exam hall doesn't work.
If you're standing outside the hall, 30 seconds before the exam starts, desperately leafing through your cgp, you're not helping anything apart from your rising stress level. The best thing you can do before an exam is to just relax. Accept you know all you are going to know, and you might as well just go in there and do your best.
7. If you have a cold, be prepared.
I was quite unwell over the holidays, and was still suffering with the lasting effects of it during the exam period. So, I would reccomend always taking your own tissues in, because you don't want to take the chance of them not having any. However, be prepared that they might search them, cause that really freaked me out. You might also want to remember this if you have hay fever. Similarly, I always got terrible headaches towards the end of the exams from the sinus pain of looking down for such a long period of time, so bring any medication you may need such as paracetamol.
8. Don't take your phone into the hall, it's not worth it.
They say no phones and they mean it. You aren't going to get away with cheating, so there's no point trying. Just taking your phone in with you can be grounds for disqualification, even if it's off. The few times I've done that in previous exams have just stressed me out so much, and for what? It's just extra stress that you don't need. Leave it in your locker or bag, but not your blazer, there's just no point, you have nothing to prove.
9. If possible, don't talk to people afterwards.
No matter what, when you come out of an exam, everyone will be talking about it. Sure, it may be interesting to find out what everyone else thought of it, but you are not doing yourself any favours. It will mess with your head and make you second-guess every decision you made, and get you all stressed out when there's nothing you can do to change it! I would just reccomend going straight home, or if that's not possible, going somewhere quiet and plugging yourself into some music and having a bit of an exam detox.
10. Exams really aren't the be-all and end-all of your life.
It's so easy to get stressed and worried, and those things can be good motivators in small amounts, but there's no reason to let them eat up your life. There are so many other things in life more important than exams. I know how hard it can be to remember this, especially when it feels like everyone is putting pressure on you, but doing your best is all anyone an ask of you.
I hope this may have helped you, I know it's all very obvious, but these are just the things that I've learnt recently. To anyone who may be going through exams anytime soon, I wish you the very best of luck!
See you soon!
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