Things to do Before an Exam: A Common Guide - Your Key to Success

Exams are a crucial part of the academic journey, and proper preparation is essential for achieving success. Effective exam preparation involves a systematic approach that spans several days, from a week before the exam to the final few hours leading up to the big day. In this blog, I will explore the essential tasks to accomplish at each stage, ensuring you are well-equipped and confident to excel. Additionally, I will highlight some reputable websites that can serve as valuable references throughout your exam preparation.

I. A Week Before the Exam:

Review the syllabus: Familiarize yourself with the exam content and structure, making note of key topics and areas that require extra attention. Ask your teachers what are the possible types of test, if granted, match your study routine to the type of test to easily organize your thoughts. 

Organize your study materials: Gather all your lecture notes, textbooks, and supplementary resources relevant to the exam. Organize them systematically to make studying easier and more efficient. If an exam is coming, even if it is a week later, make sure that your study area is always clean and tidy. A clean area improves productivity.  Being able to concentrate more and better results are made possible by living and learning in a clean environment. When your space is surrounded with clutter, many things can distract you because the human brain does not like multitasking. You willbe also be able to prioritize what matters most in a tidy area. 

Create a study schedule: Plan out your study sessions for the upcoming week. Allocate dedicated time slots for each subject or topic, ensuring you cover all necessary material. Do not be thrifty in allocating time slots for each subject. Give large portion of your time on studying subjects/topics you think it's the hardest for you. 

Review previous assignments and tests: Identify areas where you struggled previously and focus on understanding those concepts more thoroughly. Keep your previous tests and quizes for review purposes. 

Utilize online resources: Websites like Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org) and Coursera (www.coursera.org) offer free or low-cost courses and resources on a wide range of subjects.

Join study groups or discussion forums: Collaborating with peers can enhance your understanding and help clarify doubts. Websites like Reddit (www.reddit.com/r/StudyGroups) and StudyBlue (www.studyblue.com) provide platforms for connecting with fellow students. 

II. A Day Before the Exam: 

Review key concepts: Focus on key points, formulas, and important facts. Avoid cramming, instead aim for a comprehensive understanding of the material. Make your own definition of the topics, which you can think you can easily to memorize or familiarize. 

Get adequate rest: Ensure you have a good night's sleep to optimize cognitive functioning and maintain concentration during the exam.

Stay hydrated and eat nutritious meals: Proper nutrition and hydration contribute to brain function, so make sure to fuel your body appropriately.

Limit distractions: Minimize distractions such as social media notifications and create a conducive study environment to maximize your focus.

Sleep or rest if you cannot process the thoughts and Informations you are studying. First, a person who lacks of sleep or rest cannot focus attention at his maximum performance and therefore cannot learn efficiently. Second, sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is greatly necessary for learning new information.

III. A Few Hours Prior to the Exam:

Review condensed notes: Quickly review your summarized notes, focusing on the most important points and concepts.

Relaxation techniques: Engage in activities like deep breathing exercises, meditation, or light physical exercise to reduce stress and promote mental clarity.

Avoid last-minute cramming: Attempting to learn new material just before the exam can lead to confusion. Instead, focus on reinforcing what you have already learned.

Arrive early and be prepared: Check the exam location, gather all necessary materials. This technique helps me a lot with my exams. Being early in the exam venue, helps your mind observe and study the area which can ease your nervousness. Thus, this make you physically and mentally prepared. 

There is a lot of ways to study, review and routines for you to be able to study effectively and this vary from person to person. A study routine that matches your mental capacity does not mean that is also applicable to others. Others can memorize and familiarize their lessons just by reading and talking while others use actions and some are more visually teachable. 

My suggestion and recommendations does not means that is also applicable to all, but with those suggestions, a student could be able to have a score higher that he/she will expect. Protect and take care of your brain, Seriousness and focus is a must but rest and sleep is a must as well. At the end of the day, a healthy body and mind, are the most important things. 

I'm not a professional in giving advices. These are purely from my own experiences, but if you think there are parts in my blog that are against your opinion, you can just leave a comment below. I'd love to know what you think about it.