*We’ve all been in that anxiety place when it came to preparing for an upcoming exam. Everyone expects great results from you, you expect to pass well, and all this only adds pressure. But you must have had exams before and you will have exams after this one. So, it’s time to develop an algorithm that will help you get ready for any test.
Analyze the Volume of Preparation
The first thing to do after you’ve calmed down is analyzing the situation. To do it efficiently, ask yourself these questions first:
- How much time is left until the exam?
- How proficient am I in this subject?
- How much do I have to revise?
- What sources do I have?
- What sources do I lack?
Write down the answers to these and you’ll see some goals you need to achieve. The ratio of time left and stuff to learn/revise is the key here, so focus on this.
Make a Preparation Plan
As you get familiar with what you have to do to prepare for an upcoming exam, structure the info into a neat plan. Make one for every day you have, leaving several days before the exam for final revisions and having some rest.
Here are some tips for planning:
- Make it two-three topics a day if you don’t have a lot of time left. If you do, which is a much better option, leave one topic for one day, but make it a full revision.
- Revise the tests you’ve had, as there might be questions similar to those you’ll have as a part of the exam.
- Remember you have other subjects, homework, assignments, etc., and plan your preparation for the upcoming exam accordingly.
Pro tip: the night and the morning before the exam, you may want to revise the key topics once again, but don’t overload yourself.
Devote Most of Your Time to Preparation
Talking about other subjects, you sure have to remember about them, but your main focus should still be the exam. There are several things you may do to help yourself manage all this:
- Ask your peers to take notes for you during lectures, while you’re revising or if you have to miss a class;
- Use “write my essay” services like CustomWritings.com if you have tough essays or other papers to complete. These guys hire professional writers to help students manage their studies by doing a part of their work;
- Make use of the weekends to revise more or to do homework for other subjects. It doesn’t sound that fun, but you need it to prepare.
Prioritize the Difficult Stuff
During your preparation, make sure you start with the topics that are more difficult for you. Maybe there’s something you’ve missed or didn’t fully understand. Make it your priority, because the exam may contain any kind of question, and you have to be ready.
After you’re done with those topics, everything else will be like a vacation. Besides, you have the most motivation and energy at the beginning of the process. So, prioritizing the right things will be really helpful.
Ask Teachers and Peers for Help
In case you need additional information on any of the topics or the procedures of the exam, ask for help. You can go to your teacher or your friends, or better both, and find out everything. This will not only help you understand the difficult topics but also give you more info about the exam itself.
The more you know about the questions and the whole procedure, the less anxious you’ll be on the day of the exam.
Update Your Learning Resources
Don’t limit yourself to the notes you’ve taken and a textbook. Here are some other sources you can use for learning and preparing for an upcoming exam:
- Peers’ notes, as they may be fuller or more understandable;
- Teacher’s manual or lecture notes if you can get access to them (no stealing, though);
- Online sources like libraries, encyclopedias, specialized subject-specific websites, etc.;
- Local libraries that will provide you with research papers and books on the subject.
Be Calm All the Way
Another key tip to preparing for any exam is to keep calm. It may be tough because there’s little time left or the exam is final. But make sure you know tricks on how to calm yourself down and stay relaxed yet focused. This is the best state for learning, preparing, revising, and writing the exam.
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