Studying. Sleepless nights. Five cups of coffee. Are you starting to feel the stress of final exams and practicals coming up? It’s the final stretch before summer break and you might just feel like you’re an egg about to crack! Stress can show itself in many ways and we are here to give you some tips on how you can try and keep it together just a little bit longer!

1. START STUDYING EARLY

As soon as your exam is announced get all your notes together and start reading them over. This way you can make sure you understand them and prepare any questions you might have for your teacher. Start putting your notes in your own words and picking out the important topics that might come up on your exam.

2. ATTEND THE REVIEW CLASS

Teachers announce a review class and a lot of times students see this as a day off and don’t bother attending. Take advantage of this review session. Make sure to come to the class prepared to ask any questions you may have. It’s also a great opportunity to refresh your mind on things you learned much earlier on in the semester!

3. MAKE A PLAN

The best way to reduce your stress is to make a plan. Use your agenda or print out a calendar so you can visually see the time you have left until your finals. Write down the date of your exam and work backwards from there. Write down the chapters you will go through on each day until all subjects are covered. This allows you to spread things out evenly and avoid cramming to get through everything.

Don’t forget to plan study breaks! The best part about scheduling your studying is that you will have time to let your brain rest! Take some time to go for a walk, take a nap or watch an episode of your favorite TV show.

4. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Junk food can be your worst enemy during the exam period. It is so easy to grab a bag of chips or candy and just munch of them while you study. But it’s also just as easy to get a bowl of fruit and do the same; and it will probably make you feel a lot more energized than eating a bag of junk!

Get some fresh air! During your study breaks go for a walk or a light jog and release all the stress you are feeling!

Don’t forget to get enough sleep, especially the night before your exam! Your brain is full of information and it needs to a sufficient amount of rest to help you remember what you learned.

5. PRACTICE

A benefit of attending the review session is teachers will often hand out review questions or practice tests – take advantage of it! If there any questions or topics that are giving you a rough time make sure to spend the extra time you need on these areas.

6. TALK TO SOMEONE

If you are starting to feel stress and overwhelmed sometimes it helps to just let it out. A phone call to Mom or Dad, or a good friend might just be what you need. They will help you put things in perspective and give you the encouragement you need to push through!

7. HAVE CONFIDENCE

Lastly, it is important to have confidence. You have put in the work and have done the best you can to prepare yourself. When you get your exam, make sure you scan through it all and have all the questions. This also allows you to see how many questions you have for your allocated exam time.

Make sure to read every question carefully. Answer the questions you can first to make sure that you get full marks for them. This then allows you to spend more time on the questions you are having some trouble with. Take your time, stay until the end of the exam in case you remember an answer! Go back, read the questions and make sure you answered appropriately.

Take a deep breath! Good luck to all going through final exams and practicals!