Exam Anxiety

Tommyrawr

So theres 4 days left to go until the start of the exams and I was wondering what do ye do/take to keep calm or stop getting overly stressed?

I suffer badly from anxiety just before exams, like to the point where I feel to sick.

I went to the chemist during the time of the pres and sure she gave me out these things called Calms, she said to me its the best thing to take before an exam. So I took them that morning before going into chemistry and they made me calm alright, so calm I couldn't concentrate on the exam properly and I actually fell asleep during the exam. Then i figured out that they have drowsy effects >.< What ever ye do dont be trying these calms tablets before ye go into the exams ye will start nodding off.

Any of ye suffer from this too and what do ye do to stop it?

ray2012

I find the best way to relieve the anxiety is to tell yourself that you have the work done, and that you're prepared for the exam (even if you're not). I try to look at them as 'just exams', nothing more. - That's all they really are. I try not to think of thoughts such as "Oh what if I fail / If I have to repeat?!" They would just get me nervous/anxious about them.

Maybe just try to tell yourself that you will be grand for the exam. Give it your best shot and nothing else can be said of you to do. Telling yourself that you're confident and not in any way anxious also works great too!

dee_mc

Have you tried rescue remedy? It works really really well for some people.
Are you sleeping well? I'd recommend, from tomorrow night, setting a time to go to bed and a time to get up and study which you can continue as a routine on exam days. I wouldn't recommend using the calms (Kalms?) to help you sleep (I know that's not what you got them for but could be tempting at a stressful time!), as anything like that can make you groggy during the following day which obviously won't do concentration and memory any favours.
I have got awfully stressed in the lead-up to exams in the past, and the best advice i was given was this:
Look at things objectively: what do I need to do in order to improve my chances in these exams? (study, remain calm, sleep, eat properly, organise notes for last minute revision of subjects for later exams)... how much of this can I achieve in the next few days without making myself too tired to function when it comes to the exam situation?
Try to prioritise and have specific aims, e.g. focus on a section you always perform well in so that you can optimise the marks you can achieve in that section, or focus on an area you always find tricky so that you can do a bit of damage limitation.
The other thing that helped me was to plan a strategy for each exam, e.g. decide which question to start with (something you're comfortable with, to calm you and help you settle into the paper), work out your timings for each question/section. You don't need to spend a lot of time at this but it can be great for keeping the nerves at bay to be able to tell yourself 'calm down, we have a plan'
Deep breathing can be very calming too
Try to get some fresh air in the next few days, the brain always appreciates nice clean oxygen
Wishing you the best of luck in the exams