Exams can feel like a lot of pressure – and that pressure can sometimes lead to mistakes. Don’t worry, we’re here to help!
We’ve pulled together seven of the most common problems students come up against and how you can avoid them this exam season. Looking for more tips? Check out Achieve@Uni!
1. Not getting prepared
Don’t panic! There’s still time left to prepare, revise and map out your plan of attack so that you can feel calm when you sit your exams.
If you need help getting ready, there are plenty of people and resources available to you as a La Trobe student. Our Library Learning support staff can provide face-to-face support at our campus libraries and online, as well as our Peer Learning Advisors (PLAs). Our PLAs are experienced students specially trained to help other students, so they’re the perfect place to go for exam support.
2. Not checking you exam timetable properly
Will you it be an online or face-to-face exam? What time will it start and where do you need to be? All the details for your exam will be available in the exam timetable.
Seeing what types of exams you have will also help you get prepared for the day. If you have face-to-face or supervised online exams this Semester, having your student ID card with you on the day is essential, so make sure you don’t forget this.
3. Scrambling on the day
The trick to feeling prepared on the day is actually preparing the day before. Triple check you have everything you need and put it in one place ready to go.
If you don’t have the correct equipment to sit an exam from home or a quiet space, please reach out to ASK La Trobe as soon as possible for guidance.
4. Going blank during your assessment
You might know the feeling. Everything seems to go a little fuzzy, and even though you know the answer somewhere in your brain, you just can’t quite remember it.
Often the best option is to move onto the next question and come back to it later. If you can’t skip the first question, try jotting down what you do know on a spare piece of paper. Ask yourself questions to help you focus and try looking at the big picture.
Try to relax your thoughts or take a few seconds to practice mindfulness. For example, close your eyes and picture somewhere peaceful and take some deep breaths.
Getting a good night’s sleep in the lead up to assessments is also critical. It’ll reduce that foggy feeling and you’ll focus a lot better on the task at hand than if you stayed up until 2 am cramming the night before.
5. Running out of time
No matter which type of question you’re answering, the most critical factor you’ll have to take into account is time.
Ask yourself, how much time do you have? How much of it is reading time? How much is left for answering questions? How long should you spend on each question? Your answers will dictate how you approach your exam questions.
If you’re running out of time, write your answers in dot points so the assessor can understand your reasoning – you can at least hope for some marks for your efforts. It’s a good idea to prioritise your responses based on their mark value when dividing up your remaining time.
6. Misunderstanding the question
Exam questions can seem tricky. Often this is because they’ve been read too quickly. Take a moment to consider the way the question is worded, making sure to look for things like double negatives and if the question contains clues.
Underline important elements of the question and reread it several times to make sure you’re interpreting it correctly. Use a process of elimination and return to the question once you’ve written your answer to confirm you haven’t gone off on a tangent.
7. Being unsure how to approach the question
The methodology for short answer and essay questions in exams is simple: read, plan, structure and write.
For multiple choice questions, if you have difficulty determining the correct answer, try eliminating the options you know are incorrect and focusing on what remains.
Feeling a little stressed?
The lead up to final assessments can feel a little stressful, but it’s important that your wellbeing is your number one priority. Take care of yourself and know that you’re not alone.
If you need support, our Wellbeing Services are there for you. They know what it’s like to be a student and can offer advice and options to help you work through things.
You’ve got this!