Stop studying.
As strange as it sounds, stop studying.
If you don’t know it by know it is very unlikely it will stick in the next 24 hours. The brain works by learning & reinforcing knowledge, it needs time to fully process and absorb information in the long term.
Treat the last day to clear up any concepts or light reviews on topics but spend no more than a few hours doing this. Don’t tackle any hard topics as last minute cramming won’t help. Leave the evening free for relaxation.
Have a relaxing evening, a nice meal. De-stress for a bit. Stress will cloud your mind, let the stress go and it will improve clarity and improve performance.
You will be tempted to continue with the books for a quick 5 minutes but there are other more important things to do!
Relax
Relaxing before a big event is majorly important.
Watch some humour on TV. Laughter is a cure for many things. Or perhaps read a book.’
Do something you enjoy, maybe cook a nice meal?
Have a good nights sleep.
Avoid drinking alcohol to calm your nerves. It will only reduce your quality of sleep and impair your performance for the exam.
Try some yoga, mediation or breathing exercises.
Prepare yourself
Just like a job interview make sure you are prepared. Preparing beforehand will eliminate a lot of stress in the morning of the exam.
Do you have
- Alarm set (multiple devices)
- A full breakfast prepared
- Clothes organised –
- outfit sorted out,
- correct fit,
- cleaned,
- pressed and ready to go?
- Back up clothes ready just in case you spill coffee on your white shirt!
- ID ready –
- passport,
- discharge book,
- certificates?
- Anything else to bring?
- What will you do with your phone –
- is it on silent,
- off,
- left behind,
- in the car?
- How will you get to the exam?
- Knowledge of the weather
- In case you need a coat or,
- The examiners asks about the weather front affecting the country! It does happen!
Know the way
Test run the route at 24 hours before your exam. Know what the traffic is like. Is there any diversions or likely issues causing you to be late? Have you left ample time? What if you arrive too early is there anywhere nearby you can park the car?
Remember, being late can create an automatic failure.
If you are using public transport check what the timetable is, where does the bus stop in relation to the exam centre, how far is the walk.
Channel confidence
Channel confidence and using positive thoughts will improve your chances.
Say to yourself, “yes I have this, Yes I will pass” and it will put you in the right mental frame of mind.
Reaffirm to yourself that “I have done all I can and I am confident in myself and answers”
Practice how you will deal with stress in the exam. Your heart rate and breathing speed up and you may feel shaky, sweaty, and/or dizzy.
Anything you can do to counteract these physical reactions will help you think more clearly and feel more confident. Try the following techniques.
- Breathing. Breathing exercises can help you to relax, including slow, deep breathing
- Stretching. Whilst it will be difficult in the exam, stretch as best as possible
- Relaxing your muscles. You may not even be aware that you’re holding tension in your muscles. To become aware, try a body scan, which involves focusing on each body part for a few seconds, starting with the toes and moving up progressively to the top of your head. Release the tension in the body.