Chronicle Editor
Not getting prepared
DON’T panic, there’s still time to prepare, revise and map out your plan of attack. The time to avoid feeling unprepared during your exam is now.
Misunderstanding exam instructions
Read the instructions carefully! Understand what the exam requires. This is very important.
Scrambling on the day of the exam
The trick to feeling prepared on the day of the exam is preparing the day before. Start preparing NOW.
Make sure you use your time wisely. There are no miracles in the exam room. You can only pass your exam through reading.
Going blank during your examination
You might know the feeling. Everything seems to go a little fuzzy and even though you know the answer, you just can’t quite remember it. Often, the best option is to move on to the next question and come back to it later. Find one you’re confident about, it’ll get your thinking back on track. If you can’t skip the first question, try jotting down what you do know on a spare piece of paper. Ask yourself questions to help you focus and try looking at the big picture.
Try to relax your thoughts or take a few seconds to practice mindfulness. For example, close your eyes and picture a beautiful, peaceful place, breathe slowly and deeply and repeat a calming word until you start to relax.
Getting a good night’s sleep in the lead-up to the examination is critical. It’ll reduce that foggy feeling and you’ll focus a lot better on the task at hand than if you stayed up until 2am cramming the night before.
Running out of time
No matter which type of question you’re answering, whether an essay, multiple choice or short answer, the most critical factor you’ll have to take into account is time.
Ask yourself, how much time do you have? How much of it is reading time? How much is left for answering questions? How long should you spend on each question? Your answers will dictate how you approach questions.
Misunderstanding the question
Exam questions can seem tricky. Often, it’s because they’ve been read with haste. Consider the way the question is worded. Underline important elements of the question and reread it several times to make sure you’re interpreting it correctly. Use a process of elimination and return to the question once you’ve written your answer to confirm you haven’t gone off topic.
Feeling a little stressed
The lead-up to the final exam can feel a little stressful, that’s for sure.
Take care of yourself in the lead-up and know that a lot of students are feeling just the same way you are right now, you’re not alone.
NB*You can do it come October!
Dr Manners Msongelwa is an author, teacher and youth coach. He can be contacted on +263 771 019 392
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