As we near exam time, every student must be going through the anxiety of how to go about preparing to tackle and overcome the hurdles that they have to cross. Here are a few tips that you can practice to keep yourself calm and composed while preparing for your exams.

1. Have adequate knowledge of the timetable. This will help you plan and schedule your time wisely.

2. Planning is easy, execution is not – Planning out how to study the portions is an easy task. But more often than not, execution of the plan is not. We have a habit of procrastinating and putting things off until the last minute, which is one of the main reasons behind fearing and developing stress during exam time.

3. Allot time to study concepts. Sometimes, you might find a concept or a subject relatively easy compared to another subject. Try to focus on each subject on the basis of its difficulty level.

4. Set small and simple but effective goals to make learning easy and efficient. Divide the portions according to the degree of difficulty and try to learn concepts thoroughly in the time allotted. Understanding the concepts will help you remember them better and it will become easy to relate examples to what you are studying.

5. Try to use examples while studying. Using examples will help you understand concepts better. More importantly, it will be more effective if you use textbook examples as references to make your own examples. Remember, self-learning helps in remembering things better.

6. Use mock tests and revision tests to measure your understanding of a subject. It is a good way to know the kind of questions you could face in the exam paper.

7. Take adequate breaks to do something you enjoy to keep yourself relaxed. It is also a good way to battle stress. If it helps, use incentives to motivate yourself. Incentives can range from giving yourself chocolate or listening to music which will help you manage stress and also relax your mind after a productive session of studying. Also, try to avoid using your phone as much as possible while you are studying. You can always use your phone when you take a break from studying.

8. Make sure you revise what you have studied at least once a day before going to sleep. It will help you understand how much you have learned about a particular concept.

9. Eat healthily and get adequate amounts of sleep. Sleep is essential. It is a fact that getting adequate sleep will help a person to remember what he/she studied better. The chances of getting stressed increase when a student does not get a sufficient break from studies.

In the end, exams are hard but they are not impossible to face. It is about testing yourself to know yourself and your interests better. Try not to worry about the results first. Think of how you can help yourself learn better and use time judiciously. Remember, results only come from hard work. But nobody said that work cannot be fun. Good luck! Don’t forget to smile.