Exam Stress!

Recently at college, my year has been in the midst of *gulp* mock exams.
The pressures of revising, taking exams, and even waiting for the results, are honestly harrowing to even think about. But they can be somewhat conquered, I promise!
My aim is for this post to be your mini exam survival kit, and I hope that it'll help at least a little, in preparation for your next exam, whenever that may be.

Firstly, revision.
You need to prepare. Sit down for half an hour or so, and make a schedule, You don't have to do hours at once, or even do some every day (although it does help). All you have to do is a little at a time, and regularly. Look at the subject(s) or topic(s) you struggle with most, and dedicate more time to them than those which you're more comfortable with. There's no point in spending hours going over things you already know just to make yourself feel better. Once you have a schedule, stick to it! This is probably the hardest part, but you have to do it. However you can convince yourself, you should do it. While revising, try out different things to find what works for you. This means revision methods, like mindmaps/flash cards/quizzes/reading/etc. as well as having the TV on/silence/music/etc. I, personally, find it a lot easier to concentrate if I have some kind of background noice; I prefer instrumental piano music, so then I don't get distracted by lyrics.

Secondly, taking the exam. Before it, make sure you have everything you need; a bottle of water, pens, pencils, ruler, rubber, maths equipment, highlighters, any books/papers you need, etc. Get your bag packed the night before, so you don't have another worry on exam day. Make sure you know the structure of the paper too, so you know how much time you have for each section. Then once in the hall, lay out your materials how you want them, and take some time to calm yourself down and prepare. When the clock starts, know how much time you have for each section and keep yourself o that schedule, Don't get overwhelmed and if you feel like you are, stop and take a minute for yourself.

Finally, once the exam is over (thank goodness), you can't change anything. So there's no point worrying about it! This is easy to say, but not so easy to put into practice. However, once you realise this, you lose your worries post-exam because if you feel you've done your best, then there isn't anything to fear.

Exams don't have to be the beast they appear to be. The key is preparation and a calm, level head.
Good luck!