How To Survive Final Exams
The day, the week, the year that you have been dreadfully waiting for has finally come around and how do you feel? Maybe you are full of regret at how little you did, or maybe you are over the moon all your efforts are finally about to be tested. One thing’s for sure; crunch time is upon you and your emotions are about to experience a whole new rollercoaster. On that note, let me take you on this mad loop of final exams with your hands in the air and wind in your hair.
1. Start early
Lets start with the basics – we have all heard the saying ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ but how true really is that? Although maybe in the past it may have just gone straight over your head, this time, let me assure you – TAKE NOTE! As you get older and final exams get tougher, expecting achievement without putting in any graft appears to be a virtual reality. Put in the work or be left disappointed, it’s a formula as simple as 123.
2. Make use of your teachers
your teachers are your best friends from now on. Not only are they your very own specialised human encyclopaedia, they have also been in your position many times before (no matter how ancient they may seem) so take advantage of that. Ask questions, lots of them, no matter how trivial, weird and bizarre they may seem. Make time for one to ones, prove you’re interested even if it means sending copious amounts of emails to the point you may as well be texting. On this note, do whatever it may take to succeed through them but more importantly to build a good rapport with those who can support you the most. Remember – they have got their qualifications, now it’s time to get yours.
3. Focus on yourself
We all know that one peer who sits back in class not paying the slightest bit of attention yet always comes out with top marks. Unfair huh? Trust the process, although they may pass a class assessment, without direct concentration the depth of their knowledge can only go so deep. Consider what you are doing rather than procrastinating practicing your resentment towards others. Your education is the only one worth thinking about.
4. Don’t compare yourself to others
While some claim to have spent the whole academic year revising and others enjoy to express their extraordinary natural gift claiming to have not picked up a pen since the start of term. Either way, smile and ignore. Once again, you are doing these final exams for yourself and while some may scrape by with no work to show for it, as frustrating as it is you need to acknowledge that everybody is different. This being said; you shouldn’t feel bad for only doing an hour a night if you know that works for you.
5. Find a balance
Enjoy the process with a balance. Granted, revision on top of revision is certainly not the most riveting activity that life has to offer, but take it from me, when it is all over you may just wish you could do it all again. Day in day out studying can seem repetitive but find the elements you love. Is there a particular topic you find interesting? Get immersed in it, read around it and analyse it further, let yourself be intrigued – the choices you are making now are going to shape your future. Sitting in a room with a book infant of you isn’t going to be fun nor productive so find a way to intertwine the two. Create incentives – go out with friends once you have practiced an essay, or agree to spend late evening int he library with a friend to allow you to have the weekends free to do whatever you enjoy. Like everything in life, to be a success you need to find the right balance and make it work for you.
6. Believe in yourself
You would not be sitting the exam if you hadn’t proved you were capable enough in the first place and it is important to remember that. You are currently living in the most powerful generation yet, where you can simply log onto a computer and find pretty much any facts, figures, sources, news outlets and more by the click of a button.use these resources, use your teachers and use your initiative and self belief to get where you want to be. Note here how i said ‘want to be’ and not ‘need to be’.
As important as they may seem, the most crucial thing to remember through this whole process is perspective. If one exam doesn’t go to plan, don’t fail to forget how little that is in the grand scheme of life. All you can do is try, there is always going to be options and alternative ways to hop back on your desired pathway. Believe that life has got a way of getting you where you are supposed to be and most importantly believe in yourself. Remember – Negative mindset = Negative outcomes.
