Unfortunately it’s that time of year again. The deadlines are set, the books have been taken out of the library and summer is just a little too far away to be excited about. Yes, it’s exam time, with the SQA’s annual exam time kicking off today. To help you get through the stresses of Nationals, Highers and beyond, we’ve put together a list of ways to look after yourself to make sure that you’re at your best to pass.
1. Eat
It can be difficult to take time out of revision but eating three meals a day still applies, even if you do have exams coming up. Make sure that you take the time to eat, otherwise your body just doesn’t function properly. There are several foods out there that are classed as “brain foods”, meaning they have nutrients in them that your brain needs. Granary bread, oily fish like salmon, blueberries, tomatoes and broccoli are all on the list and aren’t that expensive. So make sure the cupboards are stocked up – you can’t work on an empty stomach.
2. Water is your friend
Dehydration has a really negative impact on your body. It affects how well your memory works, the ability to perform simple tasks and can even raise levels of anxiety – not things you want to deal with come exam time. It’s recommended that men drink around 2 litres of liquid a day and women drink 1.6 litres – that’s either 3 or 3.5 pints. It sounds a lot but it’s pretty manageable. You can drink water, milk, fruit juice and even tea and coffee count (although they aren’t quite as healthy). So keep a bottle of H2O handy while you revise and make sure to fill it up regularly. It’ll help in the long run.
3. Take a break
It’s really easy to feel like you have no time to relax or get away from your revision. Things pile up, so you can’t abandon what you’re doing. While it’s important to work hard and get the best mark you can, it’s also important to take breaks. You should only focus for between 40 and 90 minutes and then take at least a ten-minute break. It’s good to get some exercise while you do this, so go for a walk. The point of a study break is to get your mind off what you’re doing. However, remember to set an alarm so it goes off when your break is finished. It can be too tempting to settle in for an episode of Breaking Bad or Supernatural, which turns into two episodes, then a whole season… Taking a break is one thing, but wasting a whole day on Netflix is not a good idea.
4. Organise your time
When you have a big workload, it can start to seem disorganised and unmanageable, which makes you panic and then no work gets done. We’ve all been there. One way to combat this is to organise your time. Write down at the beginning of the day how long you’re going to study for, what you’re going to study, and then stick to it! If you have three exams coming up, divide your time equally and be sure to give extra time for things you struggle with. Some people find it easier to make themselves a timetable for revision that goes up until the exams, so if that works for you, take some time to draw one up.
5. Remember to sleep
Stress during exam time is a huge issue, whether you’re in school or at university. Stress can affect people in a range of ways but for some it stops them being able to sleep. Make sure you take time to actually relax – such as taking nights off to wind down after revising. It also might seem a good idea to have a few late nights to cram in some extra study but this can actually hurt your chances instead of helping them. Catching some zeds is essential for your brain to work properly, so depriving it of sleep means all that late night studying isn’t really going in. So pyjama-up, get comfy and settle in for a good night’s sleep.
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be on course to great results this exam season. So go forth, think healthy thoughts and get revising. Good luck!
