How to Survive Final Exams

 Developing a positive mindset can act as motivational boosters and fight exam stress. There are ways you can encourage your brain to adopt this attitude to help you produce outstanding exam results:

1. Plan your Success Strategy

The final examinations are condensed into a few weeks. Once you start, it’s difficult to structure your preparation time. It’s crucial that you have a study schedule planned previously, bearing in mind the time you have available as well as the subjects you need to study.

2. Actively Review your Study Notes

Don’t just study the topics you have covered most recently. Finals exams include questions related to the entire subject and the exam questions will assess the overall ability of the student.

It’s important to master the foundation of the subject by covering introductory theory before advancing to deeper topics. Flashcards can help you understand key definitions and terms to build your base knowledge. Using these study aids will also allow you to quickly review your notes before the exams.

3. Reduce the Clutter

If you have to study previous topics again as well as cover new areas, you will start to wonder where you will get the time. The key is to reduce. Yes, you read that correctly, reduce. This does not mean that you should remove topics or paragraphs at random. You should find a way to reduce the volume of what you have to study without harming your level of knowledge.

The key is to use Mind Maps. The trick with mind mapping is to use keywords and logically relate them in a way that your brain is capable of filling in the gaps. Your brain should be capable of developing a paragraph with sense for every node or keyword outlined in the map. Create Mind Maps with the free GoConqr tool, it’s free!

4. Strengthen your Memory Skills

Once you fully comprehend the structure and format of the exam for each of your subjects, you can develop a strategy to test yourself. For example, preparing for an MCQ type of test will require a different skill-set than essay answer format.

Engaging your brain in active recall on a regular basis enhances your learning and strengthens your memory. Building confidence in your learning ability will also motivate you to study for longer and reduce exam stress

5. Read Everything Carefully

On the day of the exam, nerves can play a big part and sometimes negatively affect your performance. This can lead to reading questions incorrectly and approaching the answer in the wrong way.

Don’t let this happen to you! Spend time carefully reading the questions and jotting down some notes for when you are writing out your response. Having the structure of your answer clear before you put pen to paper can help you focus on the task and include details that will get you those extra marks.