Exam Tips!!

Doing well in an exam isn't just about studying, it's also about how you perform at an exam. One could have spent months reading and compiling notes in preparation for an exam, only to not do as well as one could have because they aren't well prepared to actually take the exam. Here are some tips:

• Be confident, but not overconfident: I always tell my friends that "stress is an exam killer", because it's really easy to get distracted and forget important information when you feel like you're under pressure. Therefore, I think the main thing that you really need to do before an exam is to believe in yourself. Don't panic about all the things that could go wrong, but instead tell yourself that you're already as well prepared as you could be and that you'll do just fine. However, don't be overconfident and just not study or not check your answers at the end of the exam. Overconfidence can be just as detrimental to your exam performance as stress, as it could lead to carelessness, which, believe it or not, could lose you a lot of marks in a paper, especially for subjects like math and science!
• Dress for the occasion: This may sound really stupid, but I actually spend ages picking out an outfit before an exam. When I tell my friends this, they always look at me like I'm crazy and ask me "why on Earth would you waste time doing that when you could be studying?". Good question. I believe that what you wear could greatly affect your morale under stressful situations such as exams. Though obviously wearing the right outfit won't magically get you that level 7 if you don't study, it does help you feel more comfortable and confident, which could really help you think more clearly and therefore perform better. A sweater paired with trackpants or leggings (for girls) are very popular choices for exam outfits, simply because they're comfortable. It's also important to dress for all sorts of temperature situations that the exam hall would throw at you. In an exam where you're tight in time, you wouldn't want to waste your precious seconds putting on or taking off layers of clothing. Therefore, if you opt for layers, wear a jacket or zipped hoodie instead of pullovers so they're easy to put on or take off. Of course, the ideal situation would be if you wore an outfit that wouldn't make you too warm or too cold, such as a long sleeve top or a shirt with a cardigan, so you would be comfortable throughout the whole exam and won't get distracted by the temperature!
• Prepare enough stationary: We all know that you can't write an exam without proper stationary. Therefore, remember to prepare enough stationary for every possible situation. It is better to be over-prepared and have a ruler at your English exam than to be without one during your math exam. Have a few of each type of pen, in case one runs out of ink, and line all your stationary up in front of you while you're waiting for the exam to start so you could have easy access to them when you need to. Make sure things like lead pencils are full and that your pens write smoothly. You can check out this post for some good exam stationary that we recommend.
• Don't try to study right before the exam: Though it may be tempting to try and cram until the last minute in order to ensure that you're as prepared as possible, it is also very unhelpful and creates unnecessary stress. Instead of trying to read your textbooks or your notes, take a few deep breaths, grab a drink or some snacks (but remember to go to the bathroom before you go in), and just relax to get yourself into the "zone" for the exam.
• Sleep!!!: I cannot stress this enough, but sleep is uber important when it comes to exams. Not getting enough sleep could lead to "brain freeze" situations, which is obviously not desirable when one is in an exam. So instead of trying to cram up to the last few minutes before going into the hall, get a decent 6-8 hours of sleep the night before instead to ensure that you maximize your performance.