Postgrad Exam Tips: What to do the hour before

It's coming up to your January exams, and you've spent your Christmas holidays revising - or at least, pretending to revise. But what should you spend that last vital hour before your exam doing?

DON'T Cram

Seriously - most people look to this hour before the exam as the perfect time for some last minute cramming, but it's really not all that worthwhile. You're unlikely to remember any huge chunks of topics that you didn't already know, and it'll be more likely to remind you of the stuff you're not sure about, rather than what you are! The last thing you need is an extra source of stress, and cramming is far more likely to make you panic than to calm you down.

Make use of short-term memory

However, saying don't cram doesn't mean you shouldn't look over any notes. Instead, plan in advance what'll be most useful - if you're a science student, are there any equations you'll need to remember? A historian? Any particular dates you need to know? Instead of coming to the exam with armfuls of notes you won't get time to read, try to narrow it done to one key piece of a4 - the sort of thing, that, if need be, you can memorise and then write at the top of your exam paper as soon as it starts. This can be a great way to ensure any finicky details make it in, without stressing yourself out.

Prep your body

This is where you should pretend your mum is there fussing you - are you wearing comfortable clothes ? Been the toilet, even if you insist you don't need it? Had something healthy and energising to eat? This is especially important for morning exams - if you're tired, you won't do your best, so grabbing a quick energy boost in the form of a cereal bar can do wonders for your stamina.

Relax

It's tricky to do, but try to spend at least the last ten minutes before you go into the exam just relaxing. Focus on your breathing - try counting your breath, as even if your mind is panicked, you can calm yourself down this way. Some people like to have a routine at this point - checking your pockets for everything, or similiar. This can help, as long as you don't let it become an obsession. Most importantly: if you have friends who are easily stressed and nervy, maybe don't stand with them for this last bit! It might seem rude, but you need to make your exam go as well as it can.

Be Early

Get to your exam room early, put your stuff away early - generally, anything you can do early, do it. This will help prepare you for the next few hours, but will also keep you from having the added worry of timekeeping. This is particularly useful if the exam is somewhere you haven't been before - you can even go, find out where it is, then go get a coffee or similiar if you don't want to hang around too much!

Of course, every student is different, so make sure you make these pieces of advice your own! Making good use of that awkward hour is one of the key ways to make sure your exams go as well as possible.

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