31 Jul 2023
How to reduce stress before an examination
Discover 5 top tips to help with your exam stress.
Exam stress. Have you ever been in this situation? You have exam anxiety, and everything you search up online seems to direct you to solutions that you don’t have time for. You start to feel panic. Perhaps you should study more? Can you study more? You’re exhausted. The examination looms ahead.
Here are five FAQs on how to achieve a healthier mindset:
1. Does exam stress & anxiety ever go away?
You are a unique human being. This is the key value at the heart of everything we do here at Greene’s, and what we have recognised within our students for over 50 years. Whether your anxiety or capability to deal with exam stress is genetic, systemic, or circumstantial, it’s easy to just think that others inherently find it “easier” to deal with anxiety. This is not true, or at least partially not true. Those who don’t seem to struggle, have felt it at some point and perhaps even still continue to do so. However, over time, they have built up their mindset and strategy in a healthy manner – which you might not have seen yourself. Like them, if you can strengthen your mind and body, anxiety in all situations, including examinations, will have little to no power over you.
2. How do I stop panicking about exam results?
The answer to this question isn’t limited solely to examinations. To deal with examination stress, you need to confront your general anxiety. You might not think this key, but think of the old proverb: “if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime”. Would you rather be able to slip past this one exam, or be able to handle every exam that ever comes your way? You might also think that you don’t have the time for such a radical change, you need to study. This is the wrong mindset. Imagine this: you wake up rested on the morning of the examination, a little anxious, but feeling fully equipped. You don’t see the test as a hurdle to trip over, but rather, a chance to leap higher than before and make the hurdle feel a little too short. How can one achieve such confidence?
3. How do I stop stressing during exams?
Your exam stress may come from a number of different things, but most likely, it comes from two combined elements: firstly, a feeling of a lack of control over what will appear in your examination, and secondly, uncertainty about the strength of your knowledge in your subject. Our students at Greene’s have found that our style of learning (the tutorial method) works wonders for their uncertainties – our tutors, who are subject-experts, with many hailing from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, seek to directly tackle all knowledge gaps. This breeds confidence, which in turn helps to alleviate the first element, strengthening the feeling of control within and beyond examinations.
4. how can greene’s help with exam stress?
- For those who are currently in other schools or colleges, we offer supplementary tuition so that students can work with world-class tutors to fill in the gaps in their subject knowledge.
- For students who are unhappy at their current school, you can join Greene’s as a full-time student at any point throughout the academic year. Click here to learn more.
- For examination candidates who would like to have more control over their examination arrangements (excluding date), including special access arrangements, Greene’s is one of a handful of Examinations Centres in Europe. Learn more here.
Get in contact with a member of our team here.
5. What not do right before a test?
Don’t neglect yourself! On the day before, make sure that you eat and drink enough – stay away from caffeine if possible, or at least, don’t drink too much. Remember: the brain is like any other muscle – your knowledge is strengthened by regular study with regular rest. If you overwork your biceps, you’ll be out of action for a while – same thing with the brain. Regular and consistent work is key, so this should be reflected the day before your test. Make sure to talk with your family or tutors about how you’re feeling – you might find that they’ll give you a boost. But most importantly, keep a healthy perspective on what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how it will affect your life, if at all.
About Greene’s
Greene’s College Oxford is an independent sixth form college with campuses located in the heart of Oxford, U.K. and in Lisbon & Estoril, Portugal. Our educational philosophy is based on one simple assumption: if students’ education is tailored to suit their unique qualities and needs, they are more likely to be successful. Study at Greene’s College Oxford blends small group or individual tutorials, dynamic feedback on learning, and one-to-one weekly Personal Tutoring sessions to ensure all students have personalised guidance.
