How to Prepare for an Exam the Night Before:
- Review notes and key concepts: Review your notes, key concepts and create a summary sheet or flashcards for quick review and practice.
- Sleep: Get enough sleep to ensure you are rested and alert for the exam.
- Relax: Engage in relaxing activities such as yoga or meditation to reduce stress and anxiety.
A study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that students who used active learning strategies such as summarizing, note-taking, and self-testing performed better on exams than those who solely relied on passive learning strategies such as highlighting and underlining content within textbooks.
What to avoid the night before an exam
Cramming the night before the exam is not advisable as this can increase stress and anxiety. Moreover, distractions such as social media should be avoided, as well as long hours of television and other activities that can interfere with limited time. Staying focused during an exam is important to ensure accurate and complete responses, and to maximize performance.
Staying focused and calm
Essentially, students need to get enough sleep the night before an exam so they are rested and alert. Eating a healthy meal before the exam can help one stay energized and focused and for students who are particularly nervous or anxious, a few deep, mindful breaths will help ease the pressure.
Overall, staying focused during an exam requires preparation and practice, as well as effective time-management and stress-reduction techniques. By using these tips, students can look to improve their exam performance and achieve their academic goals.
How to Manage Your Time During an Exam
During the exam, it is easy to lose track of time. As a guide, students should aim to read the exam instructions clearly and answer the questions, as necessary. It may be helpful for students to plan how they will answer the exam question before beginning to write. The Pomodoro technique is a common method for students to set an amount of time, usually 25 minutes, before attempting to answer the next question and so on.
As per statistics cited by InTech Open, effective exam preparation strategies, such as active learning, practice exams, digital learning tools, and time management, can help support and improve students’ exam performance and provide for effective learning outcomes.
