Tips for dealing with exam and assessment pressure
The examination and assessment period might look very different this year, with less paper-based exams in exam halls and more online and written assessments instead.
We’ve put together some tips to help you:
Stay healthy
It is vital that you don’t neglect your health during the assessment period.
- Try to eat a healthy balanced diet. Including oily fish (such as mackerel and salmon), fresh fruit and vegetables (like blueberries, tomatoes and broccoli), nuts, seeds and wholegrain foods in your diet will help you feel more mentally alert and give you a boost.
- Exercise can help to improve concentration and increase energy levels so try going for a walk or a run, if the mental fatigue starts to set in.
- Ensure that you sleep; don’t stay up later than usual to revise. Studying all night is likely to leave you too tired to remember what you have been trying to revise.
Organisation and preparation are key
- Make a timetable of a realistic and varied revision plan and include regular breaks for eating, exercising and relaxing.
- Ensure that you know which books and journals you will need for your revision and either borrow, buy or download them early.
- Make sure that you know what the format of all of your exams and assessments will be and schedule mock exams (using sample questions which may be available from your course tutor) into your timetable.
Ask for help
- If you have questions relating to a particular subject, ask the lecturer; he/she is there to help!
- There are support networks available at your university. Many universities and unions have relaxation and stress management classes, confidential helplines and information leaflets during exam time.
- Use your university’s international student adviser and counselling service. Don’t keep things bottled up if you are worried; talk to friends, family or classmates.
Try to relax
- It is easier said than done but relaxing really will help you. Just revise, prepare and do your best and nobody can ask for more.
- Taking some time to relax helps you to retain information. Do allow yourself time within your revision plan to have a break and do something you enjoy.
- Make revision more enjoyable and less of a chore by giving yourself little rewards for your achievements to keep you motivated; after doing a morning of revision you could treat yourself to something from your favourite café.
Treat yourself!
Do allow yourself time within your revision plan to have a break and do something you enjoy. Make revision more enjoyable and less of a chore by giving yourself little rewards for your achievements to keep you motivated.
If you have any questions or require further support during the exam period, please contact the welfare team or your programme officer at the Secretariat.
Read this UKCISA blog on exams for more advice on preparing.