Exams and Stress

Causes of stress

Exams cause stress, or rather the prospect of exams causes us to get stressed. The key to dealing with stress is first identifying that you're suffering from stress, then deducing why, and finally dealing with it.
It would be easy to say "exams cause stress" and leave it there, but we ought to think about this in more detail. It's not the exam itself causing the stress; it's our own thoughts and feelings related to that exam.
Stress is usually self-inflicted in one way or another:

• Pressure on us to perform
• Expectation (ours and others)
• Feeling that lots of other things will depend on this one test (career, postgraduate study, etc).
• Bad organisation, realising that we're not really ready to be tested.
  It's worth remembering that there are always alternative routes to objectives, opportunities for re-takes and the simple fact that we may be setting ourselves unrealistic standards that are doing us more harm than good.
  Identify where the pressure is coming from and take steps to make that pressure more tolerable. Or use that pressure as a motivator rather than another obstacle.

  How can I tell if I'm stressed?

A little bit of stress can be good for you - it keeps your body alert and makes you work even harder! But when exams get too much, the stress can show in your body.
Exam stress can make you:

• feel tired
• ache all over
• cry and feel upset
• have panic attacks
• have broken sleep
• suffer from stomach upsets
• have itchy skin rashes
• more likely to get colds and 'flu
• have headaches and eye strain

  How can I beat stress?

Experts say that you can help your body to cope with stress by:

• getting plenty of sleep
• having little breaks when revising
• keeping some time for yourself
• trying not to do too much work each day
• eating more fresh fruit

  Dealing with exam stress

• Discuss it with others: friends, colleagues, staff, prospective employers, and careers advisers, see what their perspective is.
• Be clear what the exam marks mean, check the grade boundaries, be clear about what it is you want, and what you need to do.
• Make a list of everything that needs to be done and arrange it in priority order.
• Break that list down into manageable chunks and organise your time to get that done.
• Get on with the work in hand, get started and it will get easier. Starting is often the worst part.
• Take at least a 10-minute break every hour.
• Try and stay refreshed, dehydration hampers our ability to remember information.
• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants. They only provide a quick fix and can actually reduce our ability to learn and concentrate.
• Don't push yourself beyond your own limits, eat regularly and stick to a regular sleep pattern.
• Write out all the things you need to revise so you can check your learning against it.
• Alternate between revision subjects and methods (reading, note-taking, planning) to maintain interest.
• Concentrate on the subjects you find difficult and give them more time.
• Write out revision notes from your course notes
• writing it out is much better for memorisation than simply reading.
• Summarise existing notes and try to get to the key issues of each subject. Keep summarising as a way of condensing information into notes that you'll remember.
• Make a list of key terms and references that you need to remember.
• Use these key terms as 'trigger-words', in the exam write the key words out and use them to draw out other ideas and references.
• Use web-diagrams for key words so they remind you of other important words and ideas.
• Never write out whole answers beforehand: write out plans and structures that you can easily remember in the exam.
• Some of us remember shapes and forms better than words, use diagrams of words and ideas so you can re-draw them to help you in the exam.
• Associate key terms and ideas with physical objects that you will see in the exam room and thus trigger your memory.
• Talk to your fellow students and consult staff members to make sure you're on the right track, but remember to focus on your own work, not theirs.

  Revision Technique

A few general principles of good revision practice and some useful techniques for helping you to remember vital information.

• Get all your revision done and all your equipment ready the night before, so you don't have to hunt for it all, or go through all your notes again first-thing.
• End your revision with a quick summary of all the main areas, listing all the key words and references you will need.
• Take spare equipment, if something goes wrong it saves you having a panic.
• The temperature in exam rooms can vary wildly, it's advisable to wear layers of clothing so you can remove or add them as necessary.
• Allow extra time to get to the exam room, just in case.
• Avoid waiting around for others - if they're less organised it can disrupt your mood.
• Make sure you take a drink and maybe some sweets into the exam room. Dehydration damages your ability to concentrate so stay refreshed. Sugar actually helps you concentrate for short periods and may help.
• Eat breakfast. You want to feel first-class before an exam. And rumbling stomachs disturb both you and those around you. Maybe avoid beans - pity those around you.
• Make sure you get a good night's sleep so you feel rested and raring to go.

  Revision Guide

As you start to revise, there are few key issues to thinkh1. What to Revise
Your choice of what to revise is not only make-or-break for the exam, but can radically affect your revision programme:

• You shouldn't need to know the entire subject; get a decent overview, see how the issues interrelate.
• Concentrate on specific areas that you can learn in detail and feel confident about.
• Ask staff or consult past papers to determine how many questions on how many subjects or themes you're likely to face.
• Consult past papers to see how the exam paper will set out questions and phrase questions.
• Revise a couple of spare subjects for each exam - just in case.

  Revision Plan

It can really help to create an organised timetable for your revision, make sure of the following:

• Be realistic! Don't overdo it, but likewise make sure you allow enough time to get it all done.
• Think about when you work best, focus on those times.
• Work back from your exam dates so that you fit everything in.
• Be sure to schedule regular breaks and whole mornings / afternoons / evenings off. That way you've got something to look forward to.
• Schedule breaks immediately before and after exams so you get a chance to calm down.
• Vary the revision subjects each day so you get a bit of variety and you don't get overwhelmed.

  Where to Revise

Where you revise can be really important to how successfully you'll learn and remember the information:

• Make sure it's free from distractions: turn the phone off, make sure it's clean and tidy, go somewhere you won't be disturbed.
• Make sure it's comfortable, we learn best when we're relaxed. A good spot will be well lit, a reasonable temperature, and comfortable to sit at/lie on for long periods. Any kind of discomfort will detract from your ability to learn.

  Exam Top Tips

Traditionally the run-up to the exam is far scarier than the exam itself. In an ideal situation, once you open the paper you'll be ready to start writing, its getting ready for that moment that's the tricky (and scary)h1. In the Exam
Once you're in the exam room, these simple principles should help you get it right:

• Read through the whole paper.
• If you have the option, carefully select your questions. Remember that sometimes your preferred subject might be a real horror of a question and another subject might have an easier question.
• Plan out your time over the questions - taking into account how marks are allocated.
• Read the question carefully, underlining key words ("Describe", "Evaluate", "Compare", "Explain") and ANSWER THE QUESTION don't just talk around the subject.
• Plan out your answers - try and remember as many related ideas as you can.
• Write out the question yourself as this may help you determine exactly what it's asking.
• Keep making notes as you go along
• Remember important points.
• If you feel yourself panicking, sit back, close your eyes, take long deep breaths, and try and relax your muscles. Take 20 deep breaths, stretch your limbs, back, and neck and you should feel calmer.
• If you need the toilet, or more paper, ask. Don't just sit there and stew.

  What if my mind goes blank in the exam?

When you see a question you can't answer and your mind's gone blank, don't panic! Sit back, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Try to relax and, when you're ready, read the question again or move onto the next one. Remember, it's usually better to write something down than nothing at all!

• Modify your lifestyle, stress is often caused or exasperated by an irregular and chaotic lifestyle.
• Take regular, moderate exercise to stay healthy and improve energy levels. Physical health is closely related to mental health.
• Eat regularly and eat a sensible diet. A well-balanced diet will help you feel better and also improve your energy levels.
• Establish a regular and sufficient sleep pattern. There is no substitute for sleep.
• Take regular breaks from work, try and avoid getting overwhelmed.
• Get professional advice or attend relaxation-related activities such as yoga or t'ai chi.

  Where to go for further help

If you feel that you can't cope with your revision and exams or are worried about how an exam went, contact ask@theunion.strath.ac.uk to speak with one of the advisers.
You can also speak with the Student Advisory and Counselling Service on Level 4, Graham Hills Building 0141 548 3510.