How to be stressless at your exam

How can you be without stress at your exam. I mentioned that as one of the point how I aced my examweek, being calm. I think how to have no stress needs more words.

First we need the definition of stress at an exam. I think it is a sudden feeling that you do not know anything. You don't know anything, and you will not know anything in the whole exam.

So you must prevent that feeling, or overcome it.

How to prevent stress

• Don't interfere in the discussion your classmates have just before the test. Every time, before an exam, my classmates will go like 'Do you know what that is, and that, and how do you do this.' You should NOT interfere, cause most of the times you won't get out of it. Your classmate doesn't know the answer, and you don't either. So you will get stressed, cause you don't know that, and you will not know anything!
• Be prepared. You will not get the feeling you don't know anything, if you do know everything. There is no need for stress, if you know you can make the test good. If you prepared yourself with questions which are the same as the examquestions you will know what you can expect. No need for stress.
• Have enough sleep. Like I said, you have to be prepared. You are not prepared to solve great math puzzles when you had 2 hours of sleep. Make sure you get enough sleep, drink a cup of coffee before the exam. Make sure you are awake, sharp and ready to rock at the test.
• Get the vibe. This is one of the best things I did this examweek. Before the test, get the vibe, get into the flow of the exam. If you have math, make some sums right before the test, so you know you are ready. And at this last practice, don't make it too hard for yourself. Practise some sums that are a bit easier then you expect on the exam. You will have the feeling you can do it, and your brain is already adapted at those kind of questions!

With these tips, the chance you will get a 'stress-attack' is reduced. But, there is always a chance. I had some stress suddenly at an exam also. I needed a very good grade, and when I saw the first question, I didn't knew it. And I stressed big time. But when I read the question again, I found out that the question wasn't that hard at all.

How to overcome stress during an exam

• Pull yourself together, immediatly. You can't allow yourself to come into the circle of stress. Cause if you are in it, it gets harder to recover. So you need to be quick with noticing you get stressy. And when you know you get stressy, breathe in through your nose, and out through the mouth. Just a regular zen-like exercise, which actually helps.
• Read further. Every exam has a simple question. So if you got the feeling you don't know anything, read further and look for that question. Or any question, as long as you know it. Answer it and you will think to yourself 'not that hard at all'. And if you see the first question again, you will be more confidend.
• Read better. I am the person who always reads too fast. I got better at it, and learned to read the questions better, but sometimes, I read too fast. So when I do it, I interpretate the question wrong and think I don't know it. That is crucial, cause I am close to get in the stress circle. So read better, make sure you get the question good. This is what saved me at an exam this week.

The key to a stressless exam is being prepared, and you have to have the 'read good' technique mastered. If those two factors come together, you won't have stress at the exams anymore!

How do YOU reduce, avoid stress at your exam?

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2009 Week 2 January

This is the week that

• I quoted some french guy
• Wrote about the hot beverages in my exam week
• Wrote about the student bag. And what should be in it!

But it is also the week that

• Had a debate in class and scored an 8.8 (on the scale of 10!)
• Read about visualization, something I didn't read about a long time, and put it in practise with swimming!
• Learned that coloured marshmellows doesn't even come close to real marshmellow's in hot chocolate (just gross!)
• Learned that to-do lists DO work, and I'm going to use it more!
• Learned that Google Calender may be pretty handy in my examweek, and the rest of my life?

And of course the week that

• I was at the swimming pool at 6 am for training (yes, that is the usual bussiness with swimming in the Netherlands) and find out that my coach didn't had the keys, so I could go back to bed!
• The week that it was really, really cold in Holland, minus 13 celcius..
• The week that I went riding on a sledge with my girlfriend, and had a wonderfull time in the snow!
• The week I read something in the book Dracula, and find out that foreigners doesn't know anything 'bout Holland. Dutchmen's say: 'Mijn god', not 'Mein Gött' that German! Holland is a country, not the capital of Germany or something!

The second week of January? Full, sometimes stressy, but a good startin' up week!

8 things that has to be in every student bag

What should be in every senior's schoolbag?

Which things can't be missed in your bag?

There are a couple of things which are variable in my backpack. Like my books and my lunch.

But there are a couple of consistant things in my bag, what should be always in every student bag!

1. Your map with notes. I keep all my notes (and small assignments) in one map, all my notes from every class. And I will always carry that map. So I got always my notes I took in class with me, so if I have nothing to do, I can always look at that!
2. A pencil, or so you can underline your notes, or things in your books, which your hopefully carrying with you.
3. Agenda/diary, to set all your deadlines, know what you have to do and when you have to do it. You can also put something like your grades in it, or adresses, random notes/quotes. I actually don't use it. But it is in my backpack, all the time.
4. A pen, of course, you can use the pencil for everything. But I prefer the colour blue above grey. And it writes easier, and clearer.
5. Bottle of water, or just an empty bottle, which you can fill. But keep yourself hydrated, and you can concentrate better in class.
6. In this time of the year (winter on the northern hemisphere), some kind of lipsalve. Else you get bursted lips, what nobody wants!
7. Your earphones, for your iPod or telephone, so IF you recorded some notes you can always listen to it. Or just listen to some normal music, if you don't want to do something all the time.
8. A notebook. I just got an A4 notebook, where I write all my ideas in. If you are having a creative moment, capture it and put it down, so you won't forget. What I also do is taking a paper from it, and make some small cards from it. That is where I write my todo's on. This notebook can't be missed from my bag.

So, now you know the content of my bag, what about yours? Share it in the comments!

How hot drinks will help me through my examweek

It is the time of year again, when you can enjoy hot beverages with full intensity.

It is the time of year again, when you love to cuddle up at the fireside.

I love it too, I really do.

But, for me, it is also the time of year again that I have exams on school. 8 days, 11 tests.

And I'm going to make my way through it, using the benefits of hot beverages.

Starting in the morning: Coffee

When I have the test early, I will get one cup and then go to school. But if I have the test later, something like 11am, I will wake up with one cup, and drink another cup before leaving.

It will keep me sharp, awake and ready to ace the test!

Then, in the afternoon: Tea

When I finished the test, I go back to my house, and then I will have a cup of tea. Relax for half an hour, drink some green tea, to relax, hang over and get ready to study again.

After dinner, in the early evening: Coffee

Yes, coffee again. I think I need it then, cause I have to be awake the rest of the evening to study. So another cup of coffee is added.

Around 9pm. Later in the evening: Hot chocolate

The drink I love the most in the winter season. Especially with tiny marshmallows in it. Lovely, and a good break from your study. I need to be finished with studying at 9pm, so I think I can drink my cup of hot chocolate when I also read my reader. Enjoying enjoying.

Before going to bed, in the late evening: Tea

Yes, another cup of tea. Something to make me calm down again. I ain't stressed that much, but relaxing before going to sleep is important, I think. So a cup of tea, while watching tv with my mom or so, will be a good thing.

That will be my hot beverage schedule. I am already applying it a bit, to look if it is good. And it does work for me, but I actually got two cups of coffee tonight, cause I hadn't had much sleep.

When I count it all up, it will make 6 or 7 hot drinks a day!

It will be something to look forward to 'yes, in half an hour I can have a cup of hot chocolate!'

Sometimes, I love the winter season.

Which hot drinks are you drinking during the day? Does it also helps you through something?

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iPod Studying #2

A couple of weeks ago I posted something about iPod Studying with the promise that I would test it.

Well, I did.

I found some pro's and cons.

Pro:

• You can relisten it whenever you want. Like me, I listen to it when I am on the bycicle.
• You check your notes again. When there is something which doesn't make sense, you see it immediatly, cause you have to record it. If you read it, you wouldn't notice.
• You practice speaking. I talk to fast some times, and don't articulate good enough. Now I hear it myself.

Con:

• I takes a lot of time. It does, if you are not normal to make summary's, that will take a lot of time (well, that is a good thing actually ;)). And recording take also much time.
• You can not rely on it. When you listen to it on the road, you can be distracted. So studying on your iPod is not enough.
• I am a visual learner. So I can't just listen to it. But because I already looked at it, understood it, it is more like a repeatition of what I already know.

Conclusion

Yes, it is a good way of studying. But you can not study just on your iPod. You have to see it first, and repeat everything you learned in your ears.

I would recommend it!

How are your experiences with studying with your iPod?

I will try it more, and come up with more problems, or ways to use it better! Stay tuned!