My Exam Routine

I have exams coming up later this year and next year so I decided to talk about how I prepare for my exams and if there are any changes I want to make. Hope you enjoy!!

Ugh exams are so stressful!

Ugh exams are so hard!!

But they are worth it! hehe!

Having a routine helps me so much with like planning and calculating how much time I have left to cover everything. DISCLAIMER: I am not saying my exam routine is the best but I want to help you guys plan your own. Mine requires a lot of improvement.

1. Make a list of topics that will be in the exam

So I have a maths exam next week that I need to prepare for, I would usually make a list of the topics I need to cover. I'd make a star or highlight the weaker topics so I can spend more time on them. If there is a big topic, I will try and break them down into subtopics so it is much easier.

2. Check what resources I have already made

Throughout the year, I would have made loads of revision resources that I need to review. I made an Excel spreadsheet of all the topics from the textbook with the resources I need to make. Whatever is left blank, I will spend some time making them but only for the weaker topics. For the stronger topics I would normally read through the text book and speak aloud.

3. Make some resources

After GCSE's, I noticed that I made too many exam resources and I didn't look at half of them. I would only make resources that I KNOW I will look at such as mindmaps, flashcards (online or paper), summary sheets.

When making the resources, I would use the specification and the textbook or any online resources available and condense everything down. It is not time to learn every single word as it can lead to knowledge overload. Condensing everything will make sure I cover everything and that I can easily remember the content.

4. Practice Practice practice

After I have made my revision resources, it is time to do some exam practice questions. You have probably heard of this so many times but I am going to tell you again. These are vital and will help you to achieve the top grades. Without practicing some exam questions, you will struggle to articulate your words. Practicing your exam technique will help you so much. Do as many practice questions as you can but really focus on the weaker topics as examiners tend to ask topics that they know people will not revise.

5. Active recall

After doing some exam questions and revision resources, it is time to test how much I actually learned. I would normally do this by either going through my flashcards or blurting everything out or teaching someone else.

Night before the exam

6. Watch Youtube videos

When it is the night before the exam, I tend not to do any intense work but instead I would watch YouTube videos and make rough notes. If I have no energy left, I will increase the speed of the video as I should have known them.

7. Blurting

This is an active recall method but I would do loads of these the night before and try to remember as much as I can. If I haven't covered a topic, I will read the textbook and constantly use blurting to retain that information. I don't want to waste time making resources but want to focus on active recall.

8. Collection method (lucrezia chloe)

I recently used this method and it works so well. I don't know how to explain it but I will link the video. (I couldn't find the link sorry! but do subscribe to her!!) I attached a different video which can help with your revision!

9. Sleep early

As a student, we tend to stay up late and revise but this is not healthy at all. I would go to bed around 9/10pm because if you don't get enough sleep, your grades will reflect this.

Sleeping will improve your physical and mental health. Scientists has recommended that we are to sleep for around 7/8hours a day. This is probably going to be irrelevant but this is what happens when you don't get enough sleep.

On exam day

10. Eat breakfast

I don't normally eat breakfast as it makes me feel sick but if I have an exam/mock, I will try and force myself to eat something. Sometimes I will eat some toast but sometimes it can just be a protein bar.

Eating breakfast will give you energy and you don't want to be tired in a 90mins exam. Make sure you pack yourself a bottle of water as it can help you function more better such as thinking more clearly.

11. Review notes and exam questions whilst taking a walk to destress

I started doing this during my GCSE's and it was very helpful because when walking to the exam room, everyone is cramming things and it can be quite loud. So taking a walk will release good hormones and remove the cortisol. I would usually walk when there is 30mins before the exam.

13. Do the exam and enjoy life afterwards

CHANGES I WANT TO MAKE TO MY ROUTINE

There are a few changes I want to make to my exam routine:

When I have a major exam, I tend to forget about my self care and will spend more time cramming. This isn't good but exercising is very important as it can release endorphins which will improve your mood dramatically. Not only exercising, I want to have a time where I will stop revision and spend time looking after myself. If you are not taking of yourself properly, your grades will reflect that.

I would love to do more exam questions and not to focus more on knowledge. For me, doing exam question is quite boring and it is quite tempting to look at the answers. So I am trying to teach myself not to look at the answers or even search for them. Looking for the answers has both advantages and disadvantages.

So instead of waiting till you have finished the topics, you should do them side by side. It is not just practice exam papers you can do, you can do questions from your textbooks. You can even do questions from different specifications as they teach the same content but different arrangement or small additional things. Just be careful when you use them.

Another thing I would want to change in my exam routine is not compare the amount of revision I do with other people. Everyone does different amount of revision depending if they understand the content or not. Some people can do very small revision and get A*'s whilst some people can do loads of revision and get A*'s as well. It is a win win situation. I think I am the person who does too much revision and get mediocre grades sometimes and then when I do a normal amount, my grades improve but hey I ain't complaining! Hehehe!

Thanks for reading xox

Do message me for any topics you want me to cover! I range from mental health to academics.