How to cope with exam pressure

Learning half an hour for two weeks before an exam is likely to be better than learning for two hours while you’re waiting to go in.

Nervousness is the enemy, it stops you thinking, and if you’re not thinking during an exam then you’re not going to do too well.

Find out the important stuff: know what happens if you fail.

Few unis will throw you out for failing one exam, but you might have been unlucky enough to get stuck in one that does.

You might be allowed to take the exam again next year, or you might fail part of the course and still be able to get a degree at the end anyway.

It depends, and this is stuff you need to know.

Break down the subject into areas, and concentrate on each area for one day at a time until all areas have been covered, then rest for a day or two and revise what you know.

Depending on what type of person you are you’ll either study alone, quietly reading books late at night in the library or with friends, testing each others knowledge.

Who cares how you learn, as long as it feels right stick with it.

Advanced preparation is the key: know what you need to learn, if things are not going to be in the test forget them, concentrate on what is going to get you points. Focus.

Again you need to talk to lecturers, tutors, even older students who’ve done the exam before.

Find out everything you can, remember: knowledge is power.

Stay calm: it really isn’t that difficult, if you fail - so what? Your parents will abandon you, you won’t have any friends as you’re left behind, and you’ll become an outcast on the edge of society when you tell employers that you couldn’t even hack a degree...but sure you can file and type and stuff and yes, they should give you a job.