h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My girlfriend and I have diametrically opposite approaches to exams:

Her - As the exams approach, she gets increasingly wound up. Panic sets in in the week before the actual exam, and it's difficult for her to think of anything else.

Me - As the exams approach, I actually get far, far too relaxed and casual about them. I try to ignore the fact that they are coming up.

In the actual exam, we tend to do about as well as each other. What she gains in the constant revision she loses through 'raggedness' on the day, and what I gain in being relaxed for the exam, I lose through not having a thorough knowledge of what's being tested.

I guess that's not very useful, it just confirms the notion that extremes are bad in either direction. Also, it's easy to forget that some students could /do/ with some more stress when it comes to exams. I could answer the question raised in the entry about 'how to relax during revision and exams' all day.

What I'd like to know (and what would be useful to me) is how people /motivate/ themselves for exams. Maybe it sounds like a strange question, the exams are the gateway to a better future and a high-paying job, etc. etc. But if there's anyone else out there that sits and reads a good book all day rather than glance at their revision notes, then at least I'm not the only one

Thanks for listening!

Procrastination! In the run up to exams many rooms are merticulously tidied, CD collections organised, emails written. No matter how much you know you need to do well, there's always something 'better' to do.

I could certainly do to stress more, my exams start in 13 days and I'm sitting here writing about them instead of revising. Better go revise...

or maybe later

AHH, the exams. Oh the woe.

Yeah, so I've got one a week yestoday. And I only started revising on monday. I usually start yonks before but this time there has been coursework righht up to the the day before they start.

My motivation is my dyslexia, I have to work very hard justr to gain a reasonable grade. Most can cope with a little, I have to revise my revision just to get it to go in a bit. That's why I usually tart weeks before. This time I'm panicing as I've only just started and not sure if I'll get it all in. Scaring me actually. It's my end of first year uni exams.

Oh well, it can't go to badly, I did got to the lectures, well except one subject....

Yeah, bye.
*rushes home to work like mad*

I don't do exams any more, thank goodness. My memory of the last batch, a few years ago, is bad enough. I was doing a lot of exams one after the other in a short period of time. I hadn't revised enough (I never do / did), and I was thoroughly stressed. Richard says that after the exams were over it was like I'd had a personality change.

How did I cope with the stress? One tip, used by a number of people, is to take two paracetamol a couple of hours before the exam starts. For some reason they act like tranquilisers - don't know why, so don't ask. I tried this for my last two lots of exams and my driving test. It worked for me!

Well, I'm smack dab in the middle of exams here, and I procrastinate like crazy, My German final speech is tomorrow, and it's still not done!
Meditation helps me keep calm before, during, and after exams. I can clear my mind, and it helps me focus.
Well, I better go write my speech!

I wish I could meditate. I've always found the idea of tai-chi appealing, I'd like to take it up...

As for exams.... bah...

[HP}=~~

Hiya-- maybe if you try studying in the library where tons of people are studying, and that will give you positive peer pressure? i know that when i go to the uni library, and there are the crazy people who bring roll-away suitcases of books to the library and transplant their lives there, it gets me thinking, 'oh s**t, i have to compete against these people, better get to work.' but i guess if you're a free-spirit type then you're not susceptible to that peer pressure. . .

I'm another one from the oh-too-casual group of students (I guess anyone posting here isn't gonna be working too hard!). My theory is that you only need to revise if you didn't learn it the first time around! If you are interested in a subject, then you will have been taking it all in through the course and so will have a clear knowlage anyway!

Besides, H2G2 is far more educational...

Gawd - I go completely nuts when exams are around (ie. today) - people can tell when I have them because of my frantic behaviour. Although I do get stressed out about them, I sometimes find it hard to revise because I am just thinking about the implications of failing rather than doing the actual revision that solves that line of thought anyway.

I find it worse to revise in the library or with other people, as you can see how they are doing with their revision. If they are doing well, then you feel worse about your own revision, and if they are doing badly then you feel that you can relax and take it easy (not a good idea).

The other problem is the internet. Although it is extremely useful for finding out about examinable material, it is also bad because you do things like post messages to H2G2 when your exam is 3 hours away!

If only it was all coursework....

Goose.

(Anyone who can body double a tall blonde natural language engineering student would be very handy right now )

Ah well, we can all have a good moan about them at the meetup when it happens - http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A540686

i'm far too calm about my gcses. i've already finished two of them, and i've done virtually no revision. my problem (although it's not necessarily a problem) is that i've never revised for any exams in my life ever (well, only a little bit) and i've still got pretty good marks. so my body and mind tell me i don't need to. and sleep/reading/h2g2 are so much more fun...
^. .^
= ' =

Yeah, you can blag GCSEs easily, revision is for wimps..! (note: this isn't neccessarily the best advice)

Yeah, you can blag GCSEs easily, revision is for wimps..! (note: this isn't neccessarily the best advice)

Yeah my GCSEs went well without loads of revision and my AS mocks went well with practically none. It's really not good motivation.

To add to my earlier posting about avoiding revision my friends seem to be putting up a more than worthy attempt. 11 days before the exams start one friend has begun writing a novel and another designing election posters for no apparent reason. Web sites are well updated and emails receive instant replies.

In our 'holiday' during which we SHOULd revise solidly 2 friends are going on holiday. Now even I dont go that far.

I can't work in the library - too many books just asking to be read.

Revise, but don't panic - it's just not cost effective. Also, hard as it may be to do so, don't agonise over the last paper you did - move on.

I'm going on holiday!!!! Yeah, yeah, I know it's not the best idea, I'll take some stuff with me. Intending to do revision is as good as doing it right???

Frankie

If you can't meditate, try the following (only if you're reasonably fit and supple - surgeon general's warning is taken as read):

Put a soft object (pillow, pullover, towel etc.) right next to a bare wall - a sturdy tree will also do.
Go down on your haunches in front of it, bend forward and place the top of your head on the pillow, with your hands clasped and forearms in a V-shape around your head (if this sounds complicated - your hands should almost touch the wall, and your elbows should be on either side of your head).
Now slowly and gently move your weight onto your head, and when you feel balanced and ready (your arms will help a lot), flip your feet over and rest them against the wall.
Yes, it's a head stand!
Do this for as long as it feels comfortable, and reverse the order of events to come back down.

Odd as it may sound, this is really relaxing. Blood rushes to your brain (bringing yummy oxygen) and you get a new perspective on the world.

I did this before a calculus exam last year and scored 89%. Your mileage may vary...

i love doing headstands. if you do one for a little bit every night, it's really good for you.
but don't stay up for too long.
^. .^
= ' =

I love doing grande jetes and falling into the splits, but if you haven't warmed up you bugger your hamstrings. I know this - I did it last week...

See... now you wouldn't do that in tai-chi

I have a week until my first exam, and I can't revise. Whether its discipline or concentration or just not having learned it and panicing, I can only really revise with someone who's fairly confident in the subject themselves. This is a pretty new experience for me, GCSEs weren't too much of a problem (except flunking art... I say it adds character to my CV). So I'm desperately trying to organise study buddies for the next week or so... and wouldn't you know it, the all powerful mobile phone that I swore I would never have until my sister bought me it, that contains every concievably useful phone number that I don't know in my head, decides it doesn't want to work... but just likes to say PB 3 EEPROM when I switch it on.

Anyway... enough about my problems... weren't we talking about relaxation?

[HP}=~~