Managing your time during exam season

It’s that dreaded time of year… not only is it the January Blues, just after the joys of Christmas, but it’s also exam season! Fear not, AFS is here with our top tips on how to manage your time well to prepare for your exams.

• Balance is key to managing your time during exam season. Make sure you are getting enough sleep every night, as this will then allow you to be more productive and energised for the next day. Remember to still make time for social activities, even if you have reduced this to focus on studying.
• Whilst you work, please remember to take plenty of breaks! This will not only help with avoiding burn out, but it will help refresh your brain and clear your mind. Go on a walk with a friend during one of your breaks to socialise and get some fresh air!
• Create to-do lists or a detailed schedule, whichever you prefer, to make sure you have the time to cover the key subject matter that may come up in your exam. A common mistake we all have made is focusing too much on one particular topic, losing track of time and not revising the others. When exam day arrives, you never know what will come up so try to cover all the bases that are necessary. Make realistic judgments about what you are able to get done in the time you have before your exam and enter sub-topics into your planner or list.
• Find out if you are a morning or an evening person with your energy and productivity levels and adjust your schedule accordingly to it. Not one schedule fits everyone, so it is important to figure out what is best suited to you to make sure you are revising efficiently, at the time of day that suits you.
• Attend your lectures and seminars during this time, if you have any, as exam prep is often gone through in them so can be a big help. Working with others can also be a nice break from independent study, whilst being productive by revising!
• Refresh your memory with your notes – organise them ahead of time if you can, as your notes will be your lifesaver. It saves you from rummaging through textbooks and recorded lectures; instead, all the key information will be in one word document for you! This is even more important if you have an open book exam.
• Spread out your time fairly for each exam or deadline. Assess if one is maybe more important than another, or you feel your strengths and weaknesses are in a particular area, then adjust your time and revision according to this.
• Try to get a good sleep by not stressing the night before an exam. I know this is easier said than done, however by planning to do your final revision during the morning and/or day, you can leave the evening to relax, destress, and not overwhelm yourself.
• Make sure to plan something to do with friends after you have completed your exam. This makes sure you don’t waste your time or mental health by dwelling on it and worrying about the result.

Remember, one exam does not define you! Plan, study and relax. Good luck to everyone currently revising for and completing exams.