ON EXAM TIPS

My first ever university level exam is closer than ever
and I am horrified out of my wits. I find myself watching Criminal Minds (MGG and Anton Yelchin? Don’t mind if I do), I send e-mails to wax studios trying to book a full relaxation massage for Tuesday, I look up Joshua Foer videos in the hopes that his brilliant memory games can be helpful, I buy several Moleskine note books in the hopes of inspiring myself to actually do some work, and then I reward myself for the work I didn’t do by buying new make-up (today I got myself a pink MAC lipstick (I think it’s called Please Me!) and a way too pale lipliner). None of these pre-exam activities are mentioned on my EXAM TIPS (read me!).doc file bullet point list. Sadly.

I must admit I haven’t been following these tips on earlier exams, but I have been gathering them as yet another way of procrastinating in the last three weeks, and I do plan to try most of them tomorrow (eat ALL the chocolate!). If you have any exams coming up and you find yourself trying some of the tips out, do let me know how it went. Let me know anyways. It will be most appreciated if you do horribly, as we then can be stupid together, but I will agree to (half-heartedly) join in when you start on “We Are The Champions” as well. Just know I won’t enjoy it.

(And, finally, the tips)

• Make a revision time-table

• Practice the questions

  • Practice doing the exam under the correct circumstances (no help/the same amount of time etc)

• Remember to take a break while revising (20 minutes revision, 5 minutes break)

• Celebrate by giving yourself a treat (eg good meal, early night etc) the evening before

  • You’re already doing good. If you don’t try, you lose regardless, therefore: if you try, you win

  • You’ve done the best you could with revising

• Think of all the people in the world who aren’t deemed good enough to sit the exam (900 people)

• Get a bit of exercise right before the exam

• Look your best (shower, fix your hair, makeup, clothing etc)

• Eat a banana and some chocolate (ideally dark) and take an aspirin before the exam (banana releases energy slowly, (dark) chocolate has massive amounts of caffeine, and aspirin thins the blood, allowing it to travel more easily)

• Respect the task and respect yourself. It is a hard thing to go through but you’re prepared, you have been deemed acceptable and after you’re done you’ll be more valuable

• If you’re not nervous, you don’t care enough. If you’re not panicking, maybe you should

• Take some time to read through your questions and make a (mental?) plan

• If you find that you can’t answer the question as it stands, you can take a chance by rephrasing it – but make it a reasonable jump.

  • “I’m going to take the question to mean…”

• Make sure your writing is legible!

  
  

Oh, god, the exam is even closer. Please do send me a thought tomorrow from 3 pm to 5:30 pm GMT+1. And on Wednesday, same time. Jhekahdliuewblfdkeda.