Fear and anxiety are two powerful human emotions that are capable of overlapping all other functions of human consciousness, including cognitive ones. That is why in situations of stress, in particular at the exam, it sometimes seems to us that we completely forgot things that we knew well before, and we cannot understand why this happens. The answer is straightforward: the anxiety and fear that we experience suppress all our cognitive channels, and neither memory nor thinking, nor attention are working at the proper level. The level of knowledge that we show in this case may turn out to be lower than our real scale.
That is why it is so important to learn to cope with your emotions, to own them, and for this, of course, training is necessary. So, you need to prepare for the exam! And emotional preparation is no less important than studying.
Gather Your Notes to Gather Yourself
Use your notes to recall the major points of a particular discipline. Remember, often, professors take questions from the footnotes in textbooks and from extra reading they mention during the lectures. Go through your notes several times and find information that would look beneficial in your exam essay. Sometimes, it is more important to add some extra sparkle than to answer every question 100% right.
Make a Realistic Plan
Preparation should be based on a realistic plan. It will help to reduce anxiety. You have enough time to recall your notes and learn something, don't waste it on being too stressed about the result. Write weekly and daily plans, but don't add too many points. You should be realistic. Otherwise, you will be discouraged and start procrastinating very soon.
Plan Your Rest the Same as You Plan Studying
If you don't plan some rest, some fun and entertainment, you won't be able to proceed for too long at the needed pace. The trick is, our brain needs to see some milestones, both for work and leisure. You have to show your brain a roadmap. Planning leisure activities will make the studying process much more tolerable. When you know that in 4 hours you can watch a movie, you will be less distracted and work much more efficiently without extra stress.
Have Some Air and Drink More Water
There are two things which can strongly increase your anxiety — lack of fresh air and hidden thirst. You need to drink enough water and walk around the block at least 30 minutes each day. Yes, 30 minutes are enough for your brain to rest and get more energy for further studying. Our psychological state is highly dependent on physiology, and you will do yourself a big favor if you take care of it before some crucial exam.
Delegate Some of Your Tasks
When you are getting ready for an exam, you don't need distractions. If you have some unfinished assignments, and you feel like they capture too much of your time and attention, try to delegate them. Address SmartWritingService, a paper writing service for expert online help with your academic assignment, and focus on the exam. It is very important to set priorities based on which goal is more valuable for you now.
Mental and Physical Exercises
Exercise "Muscular relaxation." Take a comfortable position, put your hands on your knees, and close your eyes. Keep your focus on your hands. You need to feel the warmth of your hands, their softness. If there is tension in your hands, just let it be. You understand that complete relaxation is achieved when your hands are warm and heavy. Open your eyes.
Exercise "Respiratory relaxation." The easiest way is to breathe and count. You need to take a comfortable pose, close your eyes, and focus on breathing. In four counts, inhale, in four counts, exhale.
Meditation exercise, "Focusing on the subject." You must select any item (watch, ring, pen, or something else) and put it in front of you. For four minutes, keep attention on this subject, carefully consider it, trying not to be distracted by any extraneous thoughts.
Anti-Stress Diet Before Exam
Sleep on the eve of the exam will be strong and will help to restore strength as much as possible if you use suitable products for preparing dinner. It is preferable to eat dishes containing complex carbohydrates (pasta, rice, oatmeal) for dinner, and avoid foods that are high in protein. Dinner on the eve of the exam may consist of vegetable salad or stew with poultry or fish. Yogurt with crackers, a cheese sandwich, and fruits also contribute to sleep. Milk has a hypnotic effect on the body. In 30-40 minutes before bedtime, it is useful to drink a glass of warm water with 1 tbsp of honey, which has the property of strengthening the nervous system.
Don't let panic ruin your performance. Follow these tips, and you will have better chances to pass the exam without too much stress.
