7 Last-Minute Exam Tips for Students

Ne pánikolj! Íme, néhány vizsgatipp az utolsó pillanatokra! 

7 Last-Minute Exam Tips for Students

Here are seven last-minute tips that can help you finish your prep strong and perform at your peak:

1. Do not underestimate the power of proper rest

This piece of advice is listed first because it is one of the most important and most frequently overlooked strategies. Our brains are at their best when they are rested. If you sit for an exam while exhausted, you will have a much harder time recalling the information you need to earn a high score. Tests (especially at college) are designed to assess knowledge and skills that you accumulate over months of study, so frantically reviewing your notes the week before the exam will not help you. You can study an hour or so a day to keep yourself focused and on-topic, but avoid working late into the evening.

2. Rest your hands

The majority of the tests are not yet computer-delivered, and this means that you will be doing quite a bit of writing by hand. It may seem strange to think about, but tired hands are one factor that can affect your performance. However, there are ways to minimize the likelihood of aching fingers. On the day of your exam, bring a stress ball or other stress relief toy that will help your hands relax from their pencil-clutch posture. You can even bring a small tube of moisturizer or Tiger Balm to rub into your fingers.

3. Use your downtime wisely

Part of entering an exam week rested and relaxed is feeling mentally refreshed. Make time, too, for an activity that is fun and relaxing. Go for a walk, play a favourite video game, or invite your friends over. The specifics of what you do matter less than ensuring that you do not spend the week before your exams tense and anxious.

4. Review class content, but do so selectively

As mentioned above, avoid entirely abandoning your test prep. Taking a high-stakes exam “cold” is guaranteed to leave you stressed come test day. Instead of broadly reviewing, however, study several points that are essential to earning your intended score.

5. Practice your editing

As you study for your exams, include a bit of practice with editing essays. Before you take your first exam, locate several essays that you have written for class and edit them for clarity. On test day, you will not have time for extensive rewrites of your free response answers, so it is well worth knowing where to focus your energies. Include this practice in your daily study hour. While you cannot add much information to your store of knowledge at this point, you can improve your test-taking process.

6. Rest between back-to-back exams

Many students who take tests report feeling worn out after just one – let alone back-to-back exams! Unfortunately, because the exam schedules are usually fixed, you may face this very situation. If you must complete back-to-back tests, plan ahead to ensure that you will have some quality rest time between exams. For example, bring music to listen to, and eat a healthy meal (one including complex carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables to nourish your brain).

7. Schedule recovery time

If you have multiple tests on multiple days, do your best to clear your schedule in the evenings. You will need to relax and sleep in order for your brain to recharge, and a busy night can interfere with this process. Do indulge in light exercise (you will be amazed at how effectively it can reset your mind) or a favourite activity. Continue to eat well, and – as has been mentioned many times – get your rest! You will be well on your way to success if you do.

Vocabulary

at sb’s peak

a csúcson (csúcsformában lenni)

rest

pihenés

to overlook

szemet huny valami felett, nem vesz figyelembe

exhausted

kimerült

to recall sg

emlékezetébe idéz

to assess

felmér, értékel

to accumulate

felhalmozódik, összegyűjt

frantically

kétségbeesetten, viharosan, dühöngve

performance

teljesítmény

aching

fájdalmas

stress relief

stressz levezetés, csökkentés

pencil-clutch

ceruza szorítás

moisturizer

hidratáló

to rub into

bedörzsölni

downtime

üzemszünet, szabadidő

to ensure

biztosítani, gondoskodik

anxious

nyugtalan, aggódó

at sb’s peak

a csúcson (csúcsformában lenni)

rest

pihenés

to overlook

szemet huny valami felett, nem vesz figyelembe

exhausted

kimerült

to recall sg

emlékezetébe idéz

to assess

felmér, értékel

to accumulate

felhalmozódik, összegyűjt

frantically

kétségbeesetten, viharosan, dühöngve

performance

teljesítmény

aching

fájdalmas

stress relief

stressz levezetés, csökkentés

pencil-clutch

ceruza szorítás

moisturizer

hidratáló

to rub into

bedörzsölni

downtime

üzemszünet, szabadidő

to ensure

biztosítani, gondoskodik

anxious

nyugtalan, aggódó

Kapcsolódó anyagok