{"id":11315,"date":"2022-05-17T10:22:37","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T10:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/?p=11315"},"modified":"2022-05-17T10:22:38","modified_gmt":"2022-05-17T10:22:38","slug":"6-ways-to-manage-your-completely-normal-pre-exam-nerves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/students\/6-ways-to-manage-your-completely-normal-pre-exam-nerves\/","title":{"rendered":"6 ways to manage your (completely normal) pre-exam nerves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Guest blog from our tutor Carys Scales<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I still get nervous sitting exams\u2013even after years of practice. The thing is, pre-exam nerves don\u2019t go away. But you can manage the stress so that exam season feels less intense. I\u2019ve got a few techniques up my sleeve that really help me to stay calm, focused and relaxed at this stressful time.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, here are 6 ways you can manage your pre-exam nerves too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><a href=\"#Take-breaks.\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#Take-breaks.\">Take breaks.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Move-your-body!\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#Move-your-body!\">Move your body!<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Set-realistic-goals.\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#Set-realistic-goals.\">Set realistic goals.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Get-enough-sleep.\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#Get-enough-sleep.\">Get enough sleep.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#See-friends,-family,-and-pets.\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#See-friends,-family,-and-pets.\">See friends, family and pets.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#6.-Believe-in-yourself.\">Believe in yourself. <\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Take-breaks.\">1. Take breaks.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you say\u2013\u2019I don\u2019t have the time\u2019, hear me out. When I revise, I can sometimes forget about the most important thing: me! Without taking breaks, I can become overwhelmed and grumpy. So now I make sure to take breaks and my brain and body get some much-needed rest. Switching off is important to avoid burnout. I actually schedule breaks into my daily timetable. This way there\u2019s a balance between work and the fun stuff\u2013 and I don\u2019t accidentally fall down a YouTube rabbit hole for hours. The forty-twenty method works a charm. This is when you study for forty minutes and then take a break for twenty, I also make sure to give myself at least three one-hour breaks: one for the morning, afternoon and evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Move-your-body!\">2. <strong>Move your body!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-20_MYTUTOR-8-CORE-SKILLS_teamwork-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10644 lazyload\" width=\"450\" height=\"317\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-20_MYTUTOR-8-CORE-SKILLS_teamwork-2.jpg 1799w, https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-20_MYTUTOR-8-CORE-SKILLS_teamwork-2-768x541.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-20_MYTUTOR-8-CORE-SKILLS_teamwork-2-1536x1082.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 450px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 450\/317;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-20_MYTUTOR-8-CORE-SKILLS_teamwork-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10644\" width=\"450\" height=\"317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-20_MYTUTOR-8-CORE-SKILLS_teamwork-2.jpg 1799w, https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-20_MYTUTOR-8-CORE-SKILLS_teamwork-2-768x541.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/11-20_MYTUTOR-8-CORE-SKILLS_teamwork-2-1536x1082.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Revision can mean hours of sitting. Exercise is a great way for me to stretch my aching muscles and relax my mind. Don\u2019t worry- you don\u2019t need to fork out for an expensive gym membership to get the benefits of exercise. I find workout videos on YouTube are perfect for getting active. Another personal favourite is a good old-fashioned walk, with a great podcast in my earphones. Walks can also be a great way to soak up your vitamin Ds. If I can\u2019t switch off the revision part of my brain when I\u2019m on my walk, I listen to a revision podcast. This helps me chill out\u2013 get my exercise in, while still revising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Set-realistic-goals.\">3. <strong>Set realistic goals.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/02.20_MYTUTOR_school-timetable.png\" alt=\"timetable-illustration\" class=\"wp-image-10269 lazyload\" width=\"378\" height=\"245\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 378px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 378\/245;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/02.20_MYTUTOR_school-timetable.png\" alt=\"timetable-illustration\" class=\"wp-image-10269\" width=\"378\" height=\"245\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I love to-do lists, but find that when exam season comes around, I always try to bite off more than I can chew. Take my advice\u2013 don\u2019t overdo your to-do lists and goals. It adds more pressure on your shoulders. Remember, you do not need to cram weeks\u2019 worth of revision into one day. Writing down a list of weekly goals and then breaking them into shorter, daily chunks maximises my productivity without making me feel overwhelmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Get-enough-sleep.\">4. <strong>Get enough sleep.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m always stressed and irritable when I\u2019m tired. It can be tempting to stay up until 3 am to catch up on shows (after all, Bridgerton won\u2019t binge watch itself!) But after years of sitting exams, I know that revision\u2013and exams are always better with at least seven hours of sleep. So, I put off some of the fun stuff and remember there\u2019s a nice, long summer to look forward to. For now, focus on getting enough zzzs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"See-friends,-family,-and-pets.\">5. <strong>See friends, family, and pets.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If I force myself to revise when I\u2019m anxious, it just ramps up my anxiety. So I make sure to take a break when I feel overwhelmed and hang out with people (and other animals) I love. Revising can be lonely, so it\u2019s important to build in face-to-face time with friends and fam. And if I don\u2019t feel like talking, but still want company\u2013that\u2019s where pets come in. Playing with my two guinea pigs- Foxy and Sky- helps me unwind so that I can go back to revision with a clearer head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6.-Believe-in-yourself.\">6. <strong>Believe in yourself.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My inner critic pops up a lot in the weeks and days before exams. To get back on track, I respond to that critical voice by changing how I talk to myself. I tell myself that I\u2019ve already come so far and I\u2019m so close to the end. I say things like, \u2018As long as I do my best, I\u2019m proud of myself,\u2019 instead of, \u2018I will only be proud of myself if I get this grade.\u2019 For those of you who are into yoga or meditation, slipping some positive affirmations in your routine is a great way to remind yourself that you\u2019ve got this. I also write my positive affirmations on flashcards and stick them around my room\u2013 on my laptop or my mirror, so I can look at them throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If it\u2019s your first time sitting an exam, it\u2019s completely OK to feel nervous- after all, you\u2019re entering uncharted territory. Just know that the build-up is the worst bit and once exams are over, you\u2019ll have weeks to chill out\u2013 and live your best life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Carys Scales is an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/\">English tutor<\/a>&nbsp;and studies English Literature and Creative Writing at Cardiff University.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guest blog from our tutor Carys Scales I still get nervous sitting exams\u2013even after years of practice. The thing is, pre-exam nerves don\u2019t go away. But you can manage the stress so that exam season feels less intense. I\u2019ve got&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":11317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[296,789],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>6 ways to manage your (completely normal) pre-exam nerves | MyTutor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nerves before an exam are common. 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