Oh no, here come the Exams!

Its that time of year again; the holidays are over and its back to University for exams, coursework and deadlines left, right and centre. Its a busy time for everyone with workloads stacking up and the pressure mounting.

There are a number of things that you can do to help you through this period, especially if this is your first set of exams since A-levels. So without further ado, here are SUSU’s top revision tips:

1. Stay calm.

No matter how bad things get and how stessed you may feel about exams/deadlines, stay calm. Getting in a fluster never helped anyone, although there is an important balance to be found between treating your exams seriously and not getting totally worked up about them. If you come out of an exam and feel that it didn’t go so well, don’t let it drag you down. Wait for your results, you won’t know how well you did until then and if things didn’t go as well as you’d hoped be sure to have a chat with your personal tutor who can help you to improve. I got some of my best grades during my degree from exams that I geniunely thought I had failed at the time.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you are stuck there are so many people that you can ask. Ask your tutor, your course mates, your housemates, friends, family- someone will know the answer. You won’t be the only person who is confused. If the pressure gets too much in the next few weeks please do not be afraid to ask for help. SUSU are here to support you. We have SUAIC (our advice and information centre) and Nightline, our confidential night-time listening service (open 8pm-8am, call 023 8059 5236) that can help if it all gets too much.

3. Be prepared.

Structure your revision and make sure you’ve got all the bases covered. Make sure you download your exam timetable in advance (by logging into sussed then programme> exam timetable). Ensure you know where your exam is and what resources you need. If you need a calculator, be sure that it is the University approved model and that it is stamped (these are avaliable in the SUSU shop). If you bring another calculator, you will not be allowed to use it. If your exam is in the Jubilee Sports Hall or Old Sports Hall be sure to wrap up warm and bring a jumper or two- it can get pretty chilly in there!

4. Look after yourself.

Don’t lock yourself away whilst revising, all work and no play is not the answer. Get a healthy balance and make sure you still plan fun things to do to keep your morale up during exams. Get good amounts of sleep; research has shown that  if you were to drive after 21 hours of being awake your concentration levels would be the same as someone who had a blood alchohol limit of 0.08% (the legal drink-driving limit in the UK) so its probably best not to take an exam in such a state. Eat healthy and keep up a good level of excercise.

5. Find a space that suits YOU to revise in.

Revise where best suits you- you could stay at home or use study space on campus. You don’t neccesarily have to go the Library. SUSU has revision space avaliable 9am-6pm every day on level 1 of our building in meeting room 2. If you don’t know where that is please ask at reception and they can guide you down there. The room is fully accessable via the lift (to the right of the SUSU reception desk) for wheelchair users.

6. Believe you can do it.

The most important thing is that you believe that you can do it. Give your exams and coursework your very best and show your tutors exactly what you have learnt this semester. Please take all of the above information into account and go into your exams as well prepared, calm, happy and healthy as you can.

If you have any problems please email me, my address is vpacademic@soton.ac.uk