3, 2, 1, it seems like summer is almost here and with it exams too! While some react to all of this stress by fidgeting around corridors or restlessly re-reading that page with the hope of magically memorizing it, we have researched a few tips to help you deal with exam pressure that will help you to perform at your very best. They’re no rocket science but there are useful ideas that you are likely to benefit from.

Clear you room and your desk

As irrelevant as this may seem, you might have heard of the phrase ‘a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind’. It has been scientifically proven that the more organized and the cleaner your working space is, the easier it will be for you to concentrate on your task. We suggest you take five minutes every evening to reduce the clutter, throw scrap paper away and deposit everything in drawers. We’ll promise the results will be worth the effort.

Get some sunlight energy

While you may tend to find comfort in long mornings and afternoons and nights of study, research has shown that exposure to sunlight increases your serotonin levels thus decreasing feeling of stress and anxiety. From 5 to 20 minutes everyday should be enough. Remember, you can do this when you take breaks from studying but always wear sunscreen!

Write down the things you are worried about

Take a pen and paper and list everything that stresses you. You’ll be the only one who has access to this information so don’t hesitate, write everything down. Listing your fears can help you understand them better. Eventually, this will allow you to know exactly where that feeling of stress comes from and hence be able to control it.

Working hard is good, but working smart is better

Remember that multitasking is not how you get those top grades. Even though it might not seem like it, your brain needs time and focus to incorporate things properly. Don’t try to complete several tasks all at once; instead focus on one assignment at the time making the best effort to produce top quality work. It’s normal to feel like you don’t have enough time to revise everything but remember that multitasking is only wasting your time by doing work that you will not actually benefit from in the end.

We wish you all the best of luck for exams. A special ‘in bocca al lupo’ goes to the year elevens and thirteens who have already started theirs. Break a leg guys!