How do you calm the panicked hormones down? And what does one do with all the grumpy emotions they’re feeling? Is it normal to be oh so anti-social?
While I don’t quite have the answer to be able to have the perfect night before an exam, I’ve tested and tried quite a few methods on myself and can suggest a few things to try.
Firstly, know why you’re going in for the exam, and try to underpin what it is that you want to get out of the exam. Don’t overthink (easy to say - harder to implement), but just enough to have an understanding of what you expect of yourself. A bit like the aim of a Science practical.
For some, GCSE’s are a chance for me to prove themselves. Having attended quite a high achieving secondary school, I always felt that the grades I was achieving could be improved and weren’t what one would consider the best of the best. The GCSE Qualifications were a way to show that I was just as worthy of being in the school as any of the other students; to prove to myself and a small part of me wanted to prove it to the school.
Perhaps then you can understand that each exam felt like a humongous deal, if I didn’t do well I’d leave the secondary school having shown to be just an average student - despite the fact that I knew I could do better than that. Though this mindset set me up for working hard throughout my time in year 11, the night before each exam I would have to calm myself down and truly consider what the effect would have if I didn’t do so well in one or a few exams. Ultimately it won’t affect the school, and so long as you’re happy with how you do and understand the grades you’re achieving are good for you then that should fill you with a sense of calmness and ease.
Try to understand the bigger picture, if you fail two out of your ten GCSE’s, what’s the worst that will happen? So long as you get the grades you need for the next step of your academic journey, you’ll be just fine. If you’re planning to attend university, know that not a single uni looks at more than 8 GCSEs - in fact most look at less than 1 GCSE. It’s only when applying for competitive courses such as Oxbridge, Dentistry or Medicine, then maybe you should try to obtain at least 8 GCSE’s.
It’s important to keep as clear of a mind as possible. Don’t let petty things get to you - try to block them out as best as possible - that’s not to say that you block out all people! In an earlier article I mentioned putting yourself at the top of your priority list. When your mind is getting a little too clouded over with the stress of exams, revision or to-do lists, I’ve found that actually giving and being charitable is a good form of therapy.
Try playing with a younger sibling or going out of your way to help a friend who might be in the same stress period as yourself; perhaps by writing a good luck note for them or getting them a little revision snack. In a 2006 study, Jorge Moll and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health found that when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect. Scientists also believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the “helper’s high.”
Once you’ve done all you can to help your mind, spoken to it in the kindest way possible, be aware of the best thing you can be doing at that point in preparation for the upcoming exam. Usually, that’s to get some sleep. Give yourself time to get to sleep. Make sure to have avoided using your phone an hour to two before sleeping, and once you’ve laid down, know sleeping the night before an exam isn’t easy but is possible with time. Perhaps put on some soothing background sounds (no lyrics), or a mood light and allow yourself at least 20 to 30 minutes to try and allow your brain to calm down and send you to sleep.
Particularly if you have a morning exam, revising through the night will serve very little purpose and know that it’s 98.9% of the time better to sleep for as long as possible, then, if there is time; to wake up and do some light revision before the exam. If you don’t wake up with enough time to do anything before hand - do not fret. Know you did the best thing for your body and the extra sleep will help you to pick up those few extra marks.
And finally, after coming out of an exam, don’t think or dwell on it. Often one is the worst judge of their own work. Don’t let the results of one exam affect the next. Allow yourself time to debrief then, pick yourself up and go onto the next part of your day or preparation for the next exam. This step is perhaps one of the most difficult to do, but remember you are your only limit to succeeding, so do the best you can and leave the exam marking for examiner.
Good Luck,
Sumayyah Amin
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