how can i deal with exam stress?

Question

the last month has become really stressed and i am always and tired and feeling distracted how can i cope with exam stress ??

Answer 1

Set urself a time plan! give yourself plenty of time for revision. Take regular breaks.
After exam have couple of drinks!!! dont ever come out of an exam and discuss with others who have also sat exam.
Their are herbal drops you can use to relax.
Get plenty of sleep.
It all helped me!
good luck!!

Answer 2

Hi Rhiannon

The short answer is: Don't get stressed.

As an ex-teacher, here's some advice I used to give my students:

1. Learn to mind map. Get a book by Tony Buzan, who originated the whole process - don't waste time on books by other authors - there's no guarantee they know what they're talking about.

2. As suggested by several people - make sure you get regular sleep, and the right amount. If you're a teenager this may not be easy because our sleep cycle shifts by anything up to 3 hours during adolescence. There's a book by Barbara Strauch called "Why are they so weird?" which explains this, and a lot more, very well - and you can also use it to educate your parents.

3. Again as suggested before, eat regularly and the right kind of stuff. Some foods can be positively harmful to adolescents over time, as well as failing to keep you at your best in the present.
There's stuff about this in Strauch's book.

4. Listen to the right kind of music whilst you are studying. In particular, music by Mozart and from the baroque period is best - Bach, Vivaldi, etc.
It isn't that the music will make you more intelligent, but it DOES keep you in the right frame of mind to learn well - even if you think the music sucks.

Some people think they can learn well by listening to any kind of music they like - rap, R&B, soul, etc. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that - because most modern music sets up brain wave and heartbeat patterns that actually make it harder to learn.

5. More agreement with other replies - do work out a regular work pattern. Every study period should have a specific target, and ideally your plan should cover EVERYTHING you need to learn. A plan for today, or this week is better than nothing. A complete plan is far better.

6. During study sessions give yourself a 5-10 minute break after each 30-40 minute period to do something else - listen to the radio, watch TV (and keep listening to the same kind of music till you've finished) - read a magazine or book or go phone someone (as long as you keep the conversation under 10 minutes).

Never stop for a break in the middle of a topic. Take an early break if you need to, or go on for as long as it takes (though preferably not more than 5-10 minutes extra).

If you have to break off part way through a topic for some reason, start again from the beginning rather than from where you broke off. It may take a little more time, but the learning will be more effective.

7. If you possibly can, get hold of old exam papers or at least find out the basic subject areas that will be covered, and what sort of answers you arre expected to give - multiple choice, a few words or a whole essay. Knowing what to expect when you first see the actual exam paper can be very re-assuring.

By the way, using mind maps should make effective studying much easier. You can use the time you save to practice answering the kind of questions you're likely to get in the exam.

8. A study buddy or two is a good idea. You can test each other, compare class notes, discuss points you're not clear about, and so on. (Comparing mind maps is a very effective way of doing this.) You can also pep each other up if the going gets a bit tough.

9. Always make sure that on the day of each exam you get to the exam room with a bit of time to spare. A last minute rush is bad news all round.

The more you build up a sensible framework for your studying, the more re-assuring you will find it, and the less stressed you will be. Though having said that, a little positive stress can help you to do the very best you know you are capable of.

.

Answer 3

Sure exams are stressful, but I have honestly never understood the term "exam stress" - either you know the stuff or you don't. And the grade you get will be somewhat indicative of what you knew or didn't know.

What matters is, how do you react to the grade? Did you kid yourself into believeing you were ready, then act shocked when you got a C, because you felt you did better? Or, did you look at what you obviously did incorrectly and learn how to do it better so that you were prepared for the final?

Only drama queens are stressed for no apparent reason - and actaully having exams is not a reason for stress; millions of people every year take exams for thousands of conceivable reasons. I seriously hope you aren't trying to be a lawyer or licensed engineer - the tests you have to take for those make tests in school pale by comparison. How will you "cope" if this is what stresses you out?

Answer 4

. I know, I have exams coming up too and i'm finding it hard too. I recommend you set yourself a time limit per day when you concentrate on studying. whatever time limit u set yourself, take a 10 -15 min break every couple of hours (use a timer if it helps). When your time's up, put your books away and do as much as you can to distract yourself and relax for the rest of the day. Good luck with your exams

Answer 5

maybe ask for a clear revision list and revise whats on it constantly until its all clear in your mind. sacrifice some leisure time, but not too much. hide your tv or gaming consoles and ask your parents to lock them up. if you're doing well in class and your not easily distracted, dont worry about the exam. just think of it as another lesson. think logically and look at comedy to help relive the stress

Answer 6

...pace yourself, study way way way before the exam period and review when the exams are close, don't wait till the last minute
...make sure to eat healthy and adequate amount of fluids, get enough sleep,
...take breaks between study periods [as in breaks away from the study area]
...if you find that you don't understand something, get a tutor or research
...make a study schedule to guide you
...whenever you get stress, try relaxation breathing exercises, or simple focused meditation

Good Luck

Answer 7

the best way i use to get rid of exam stress is yoga, and im 100% sure it works and u shud try it, take a little bit of time out of studying and just lie down, push all the thoughts away and just relax, yoga is really gud to releive stress

Answer 8

Make sure you're properly prepared for the exams and have planned your revision. Take regular breaks, give yourself rewards for achieving your goals. Eat and sleep well. Take some exercise and lay off on coffee and fizzy drinks.
Good luck!

Answer 9

Make sure to get a normal amount of sleep. Study in short periods of time rather than for hours on end. Space out the time that you are studying so that you are not forced to try and cram a lot of information in a short period of time.

Answer 10

Just remember that exams aren't everything. If you are relaxed you will naturally do better, you need to allocate set times to study, to eat and to play.