What does exam stress look like?

You might experience physical symptoms, like trouble sleeping, feeling sick in the stomach, headaches, muscle tension, fidgeting, nail biting and teeth grinding.

Exam stress can also be mental and emotional, like feeling confused, being irritable, feeling overwhelmed, lacking motivation and withdrawing from family, friends and things you normally enjoy.

Why do people experience exam stress?

·       Worry you might fail

·       Don't feel prepared

·       Want to do really well

·       Don't have much time to study

·       Need to get a certain result

·       Find it hard to understand what you are studying

·       Have other things happening in your life

Tips to help you study

1.    Make a plan of what you want to work on in each study session. Break it down into small tasks and work on one task at a time.

2.    Get a good night's sleep. Sleep is the time we consolidate working memory into short term memory, and short term memory into long term memory. Don't skip sleep to study!

3.    Make it competitive, or give yourself mini rewards once you achieve your study goals.

4.    Keep study sessions short – you remember most info in the first 15 mins and last 15 mins of studying.

5.    Work with a friend and 'explain' the things you need to remember to each other. Having a study buddy can help you make sense and remember complex info.

6.    Look after yourself – make sure you eat nutrient rich foods, do exercise, spend time with friends and family and do things you enjoy to de stress.

7.    Use your strength of Perspective. Exams carry a lot of pressure and it's easy to 'catastrophise' about exam results. If you don't do as well as you hope, there are so many different pathways to achieve your future study and work goals.

8.    Ask for help from your 'Support Team;' your friends, family, RL's, Lynda, Adele, Andrew, tutors and lecturers.