How to Get Through the Exam Period, from the OTG Tutors

by Denis Curnow

As the Yr 12s prepare for their English exam tomorrow, we asked some of our Old Boy tutors for their advice on how to get through the exam period and deal with stress . Here’s what they had to say:

“You’ve had the whole year to study, make sure you take it easy on the day before/morning of the exam. There’s not much more you can do at this stage, and you shouldn’t underestimate the power of a fresh/relaxed mind 😊” – Jack Petereit

“Try to keep everything in perspective. It’s easy to get overwhelmed if you start thinking about all the worst-case scenarios of what can happen in an exam room, but the reality is you’ve never been more prepared for your exams than you are right now. They’re not there to be a hurdle for you to stumble at – they’re an opportunity for you to show off how good you are! And remember, in a couple weeks’ time you’ll be on the longest and most laidback holiday of your life. Good luck!” – Denis Curnow

“ALL YEAR 12S ARE IN THIS TOGETHER.” - wILL sAUNDERS

“For me the hardest exam to get through was the first one. The best advice I can give you is to do your best to relax the night before. I found it took a lot longer to wind down and last-minute cramming won’t help this; the quality of your sleep will have a bigger impact on your performance. A decent sleep will help keep stress and nerves to a minimum on exam day. Main things to remember on the day are that the exams are your chance to show off what you know and that you and all Year 12s are in this together.” – Will Saunders

“I know it's a very stressful and anxious time right now and what you're feeling is totally normal. A few things that worked for me last year in dealing with exams was to remember to maintain a good sleep schedule and chat to your friends to keep the last few weeks as enjoyable as possible. On top of that, food is important, go for a healthy and balanced diet. I know that no matter how much someone tells you to not be stressed, nothing really works. Whilst it’s easy to get caught up in how well you do in exams and what ATAR you will get at this point in time, they really don't define who you are as a person or as a student. It's cliché but your ATAR really is just a number and in a year, nobody will care. You've all put in the hard work throughout the year so now just do the easy part and smash the exams!” – David Lin

“For me, the most important things would be;
- having a plan -> know when your exams are and plan how much/when you’re going to study for them around that
- taking breaks and refreshing after exams/blocks of study 
- if you have a bad one, don’t let it affect your others 
- most importantly, enjoy the challenge and doing it with your mates, and celebrate your achievement when you’ve finished.” – Jason King

“If the exam is later in the day than early morning then don’t sleep in because you’ll be more tired, and if it is in the afternoon don’t have a large lunch because it will make you drowsy.” – Nick Galbraith

“• Try and be effective when you study and acknowledge when you are having a break - get away from your study.

• The goal is to be the best you can be in your exam, whilst practice exams are only building blocks and are not your end result.

• Understand what each question is asking of you and use your knowledge to respond to that specific question.

• If you are stressed, take a break and remember you are nearing the end of a marathon year and the exams are your final chance to show your knowledge.

• Focus on doing what works best for you and will help you most.

• Try to get into a good sleep routine.” – Charlie Dixon

OTG Tutors