For many students the biggest problem with exams is a lack of confidence, or what some people might call "test anxiety".
While knowing the content of the exam is, obviously, of importance, being able to put yourself in the proper mental state to excel and show off your learning is also significant.
But test anxiety can be decreased by thorough preparation, mental and physical relaxation, and help from others. Knowing that you've done everything you can to prepare can help you feel more confident before going into an exam.
The following tips can help you boost your confidence.
Well preparation
The best way to study is not to cram it all in hours or minutes before an exam. In fact, research has proven that a person who studies and then gets some rest does better on a test than someone who crams for twice as long and then goes straight to the exam. Make a study schedule. To make sure you don't leave studying to the last minute, create a schedule for when you will study during the days or weeks before the exam. Making a study schedule can help you to avoid allowing other activities to interfere with studying. You've done all the work to get to where you are now. You've spent countless hours memorizing, making outlines, drawing diagrams, and group-studying. And you've probably done hundreds of practice questions. Trust your hard work. You'll need to prepare differently depending on whether your exam will require you to write an essay or answer multiple choice questions. Make sure you know what kind of test you'll be taking and prepare accordingly.
Not everyone is perfect in all the areas of study.
You must have a few strengths and a few weaknesses.
What are needs for a good preparation strategy is to identify your strengths and weakness in order to utilize your strengths and improve your weaknesses successfully.
So, if you are weak in any of the above sections, you should immediately start working on the same.
Revise and review your study
This is one reason that taking notes about what you are learning is so important. As you write notes your brain is more likely to record, and later be able to recall, what you learned.
Another great way to remember what you learn better is to discuss it with someone. Study groups are great for this. When you talk about something you not only come up with more ideas, but you relate it to what you already know, you put it into context, and you better understand and remember it. Keep your learning style in mind when creating your study tools. For example, if you are a more visual learner, you may retain more information by drawing diagrams or mind maps.
Positive Thinking
Both when studying and when actually sitting for an exam, attitude matters. A positive attitude keeps your mind open, it keeps your body relaxed, and it makes it easier for you to concentrate and recall what you have learned.
Practice self-affirmation - the process of transforming your thoughts to focus on the positive and downplay the negative. For example, remind yourself that you worked hard to prepare for this test.
Challenge your negative thoughts. While you're studying, imagine yourself taking the test and answering the questions with confidence. Imagine yourself getting the test back with the grade you want. While visualization can't replace preparation, it can help you to feel more confident, which can improve performance. [
Calm your body and mind
Fear releases adrenaline, preparing the body to deal with danger. Your heart rate and breathing speed up and you may feel shaky, sweaty, and/or dizzy. Anything you can do to counteract these physical reactions will help you think more clearly and feel more confident. Continuing the schedule from the previous tip, let's remember that you also need to rest your mind and open it up for more learning.
So, some of those breaks might be relaxing, taking a nap, eating, and otherwise taking care of your body. But some should include taking care of your mind, perhaps through meditation. Let's say that it is now 7pm, do a bit of yoga or meditation. Then, do a final hour of studying before getting a good night's sleep.
Drink plenty water and eat healthy foods
Drinking ample water (6-8 glasses a day, for most people), and eating healthy food including lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, is an important part of giving your body energy and your mind the power it needs. Choose protein-filled snacks and avoid sugar, which can give you quick energy that may run out in the middle of the exam.
Trust your preparation before exam and avoid talking about your studies
Sometimes the best way to relieve stress is to not talk about the topic but, instead, just take a break and let your mind relax.
This is particularly true of test anxiety; it is important that you get your mind of your studies in the hour or so just before the exam. Rather than cramming in those last minute facts, trust that you have done your due diligence, studied what needed to be studied, and now give yourself a mental time out. Clear your mind and go into the test fresh.
Exam hall And What Strategy you should Adopt for Exam.
Read question paper: Once you get the question paper, your first job should be giving a thorough glance to the questions. You should be patient, calm and careful at this time.
Divide time: Before starting to attempt questions, you need to divide the 2-hours in various sections in accordance with your section-wise strengths and weaknesses. Here, you also need to ascertain priorities among the sections as well as questions within them.
Accuracy: A lot of concentration is needed to maintain accuracy during your exam. Revision of your calculation is always helpful. Solve the questions carefully.
Speed: While appearing in an exam like this, speed cannot be compromised. Leaving exam hall with a half-done paper due to lack of time is always painful.
Revise: You should save some time only for revision of your answers