How To Survive Exam Season

Today I thought I'd share some of my tippy-top bestest tips on surviving the dreaded exam season. Exams are, in the politest way possible, absolutely crap. You have to study hard for weeks, remember a ridiculous amount of information and pretty much give up your social life in hope of some good grades. I'm not an expert on exams but I have done my fair share of them, and hope that these tips can help you in some way! 

1. Get Organised

It's so easy to say 'I'll do that tomorrow' or 'that can wait until later' but really, it can't. Make yourself a timetable and allocate certain times to studying. Rather than doing three hours of work one night, and four hours work a few days later, spread your studying out to two hours (or more/less) per night. Revising regularly, as opposed to once every few days, will help information settle in your memory and will help keep your brain regularly active in preparation for those long exams.

2. Buy Some Funky Stationary

As bizarre as it sounds, buying some cool and funky stationary can really motivate you to revise. Think pretty notepads, bright stickers, colourful highlighters and funky dividers. Writing out notes in different coloured pens can help make certain information stand out, making you more likely to remember it than if you were reading it in plain black biro. Use fun stickers to make pages in your folder stand out and bright dividers to organise your files into sections.

3. Sleep It Off

One thing that most teenagers have no problem at all with is sleep. Not only do they have the ability to stay up late, they also have the amazing ability to sleep until 4pm the next day. Make sure you get plenty of sleep during exam season as, after sleep, information in your brain becomes easier to access. Sleep also allows memories to consolidate over night and brain recall becomes stronger as a result of this. Learning something just before you go to bed increases the effectiveness of learning and makes you much more likely to remember it. Now, pass me the pillow...

4. Feed Your Brain

Instead of running to McDonalds to comfort-eat your exams away, opt for healthy snacks that will boost your brain. Fish is the best brain food and makes the perfect revision break snack. Mackerel and salmon are particularly healthy as they are packed with protein and omega 3 - really good stuff that gets your brain working. A good fishy snack is salmon/mackerel on whole-wheat bread. Stock up on fruit and vegetables as they contain essential vitamins, minerals and ions. Fruity snacks such as bananas, berries and apples are low in calories and give us more energy as they are full of healthy sugars and fructose.

5. Break Revision Up

After revising for a while, it's easy to get distracted and lose concentration. Take regular breaks when revising in order to give your brain a break and to increase your concentration. Take 10-15 minutes out every hour to refresh your brain and let information settle in. Make sure you drink plenty of water during revision time and breaks to keep hydrated and avoid headaches.

Good luck with any exams you have!

Amy

xxx

[image sourced from Google]