You’re so nearly there! The end of the school year is within reach. Here's some study advice, and tips from students who have gone through this before, to help get you through this last little bit.
Manage your time. Have a plan going into the exam about how you'll allocate your time to complete the questions. — Cain, IT and law student
Get a full night's sleep—it improves memory recall. And try to do something relaxing in the hours before the exam. Last minute cramming and stress will just take up brain power that could be better spent on the exam. — Ben, engineering and IT student
Speaking of brains, the right fuel helps
- Caffeine is only useful to a point—too much can make you jittery and unfocussed.
- Healthy fats keep you full longer—almonds, peanut or nut butter on apple slices, and smashed avo or eggs on toast can set you up.
- Dried fruit can give you a boost if your blood sugar levels are dropping, like when you’re nervous before an exam. Dark chocolate can do the same thing!
- If you need something crunchy, popcorn, rice crackers, carrot sticks or even frozen grapes can be satisfying to snack on while reading.
Study your way
Back yourself!! You've put in the work so trust yourself to do your best. — Libby, business/journalism student
You can search for study tips for different learning styles, but here are a few we think are useful.
- Visual learners: make colour-coded flash cards and group information according to colour.
- Kinesthetic learners: try learning while standing or sitting in a different position. Or review content while pacing in certain areas of the house—designate an area per topic.
- Auditory learners: copy and paste your notes into Google translate, press play and let a robot voice help you review.
Make a to-do list, and cross things off as you go. It really helps to keep everything in perspective. — Lachie, law student
Advice for all learning styles
- A little often is better than a lot just once—break key information into small pieces that you review regularly rather than just reading through a whole chapter one time.
- Gamify your study—give yourself points for remembering chunks of information and try to beat your high scores.
- Take short breaks often—give yourself a reward, stretch out and refresh your brain.
Have a good balance. Make sure you do something fun and stress free to break up your studying. — Georgia, business student
Take a break when you are studying, even if it's just for a cup of tea. Allowing yourself to relax is crucial. — Paris, education student
Hang in there!
Remember if things don't go to plan there are plenty of ways to make your dreams and study plans a reality including different pathways to uni. — Racquel, business graduate
It seems like a big deal but whatever the result, it's not the end of the world. Try to relax and just do your best. — Sarah, business and creative industries student
And perhaps the most important advice of all:
Exams only last a few days, but you have an entire lifetime to work hard, dream big and accomplish amazing things. Your worth cannot and will not ever be determined by a standardised test. — Maddie, drama graduate
So finally:
- drink water
- review with friends, family or pets
- be kind to yourself—this stuff is hard and you’re doing an amazing job in a difficult year.
These exams will be over before you know it, just keep going!