Tips To Help You Ace Your Exams

Tips To Help You Ace Your Exams

There's nothing worse than getting into your first exam and feeling unprepared. Everyone else seems cool, calm and collected – and you feel daunted by the task ahead.

With high school exams just a month away, Think Education has provided some simple tips to help you get the most of your studying, and help you ace your exams.

Create a comfortable environment
When studying, it's important create an environment that you feel comfortable working in. For some people this is in a messy area, for others it means a meticulously tidy space. If you don't feel comfortable you're more prone to distraction and will be less efficient as a result. Some people find they study better with music – and for some music without lyrics works best, as songs with strong vocals can be more distracting.

Create a study plan
A great way to ensure you are efficiently using your time is to develop a study plan. Identify the areas that need the most work and break it up into manageable amounts to avoid getting overwhelmed by the task.

Set goals
To keep yourself on track you should be setting manageable goals for yourself. Setting goals is an effective way to see progress and create a sense of achievement. This can mean reading a particular number of pages or writing a certain number of words a night.

Write it down
Often people fall into the trap of simply re-reading everything from scratch but this isn't an effective way to retain information. Write down what you've learnt in 20 minute intervals as it is a good way to review and reinforce information.

Take breaks
This doesn't mean hour-long binges on Facebook, but be sure to take time to step away from your studies. It's important to give your brain a break so it can process what you have been studying and not get overwhelmed. It will also help you to look at things with a fresh perspective and see some things which you may have overlooked. Don't forget to schedule in time for hobbies or seeing friends – sometimes this can be the best way to help break up studying.

Take care of yourself
When there's a lot happening, it's easy to forget about your basic needs like a good night's sleep and healthy eating. Aim to get 7 – 8 hours of sleep a night so that you wake feeling refreshed and ready to focus. Eating the right foods also plays a large role in your productivity. Avoid sugary food and drinks which give a short term energy boost, and instead choose nuts and vegetables which have longer lasting energy hits.

Prepare for what comes after your exams
A great way to reduce the stress of your exams is to plan for what comes next. If you know what course you want to do, or have an idea of the industry you want to get in to, there are a range of Early Entry Programs available which allow you to pre-enrol into your course (or courses) of choice before your sit your exams. For example, Early Entry Programs are now open at APM College of Business, Billy Blue College of Design, the Australasian College of Natural Therapies and William Blue College of Hospitality Management.

While you must still attain the course entry requirements, it allows you to feel confident that you have place next year as a pathway can also be provided if you don't. This can really help with setting a goal for your results, and also relieves stress and provides a sense of security.

For more information visit: www.think.edu.au/early-entry