Penstripe Student Planner Catalogue 24-25 - Flipbook - Page 123
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PERFORMANCE FOCUS –
EXAM TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
PERFORMANCE FOCUS
Performance Focus - Exam Tips and Techniques
1
Take time every day to relax so that your thinking is clear and focused.
Refer back to the research nuggets for ideas.
2
Build in a period of exercise each day. The physical and mental health benefits
are far reaching.
3
Stick around people who help you to feel confident in yourself. The last thing
you need right now is negative energy. And, set aside at least one night to go
out with friends and have a laugh!
4
Avoid confrontation with family – the argument can wait until after the exam!
5
Ensure you continue the routine of conducting study sessions in small
manageable chunks and avoid cramming.
6
Contact your teacher if you need any final clarifications in your understanding
of a topic.
7
Drink plenty of water to ensure you stay hydrated.
8
Apply the sleep hygiene principles laid out earlier.
9
Purchase and prepare any additional equipment you need for the
exams: pens etc
10
Be mindful that feeling nervous is normal in the lead up to exams and remind
yourself that your body has a survival mechanism for these exact scenarios.
If you have been sleeping well most nights but get very little sleep the night
before an exam, don’t panic. One night isn’t going to make a big difference to
your performance. On exam day, eat and hydrate well and adrenaline will get
you through!
Copyright © 2021 Inspire Education
During the Exam
This is when all your practice pays off. You’ve rehearsed this scenario many
times and you’ve got this. It is a normal physiological response to have sweaty
palms, a dry mouth and an increased heart rate. It proves your mind and body
are primed for performance. The reassuring news is that these responses are
common to us all. It is likely every other student is feeling the same. In fact
even the most confident, successful people in the world experience the same
physiological reactions.
Description
Performance Focus
Those people handle the stress by using coping mechanisms, beginning
with stripping out any negative beliefs and thinking in a productive and
positive way.
That’s what we want you to do - remember you are in control and you can
take control. Remind yourself of past successes and of your ability to succeed
in this exam. You’ve put in the preparation through all those hard yards of
revision and it’s now your opportunity to shine.
You’ve arrived in the hall, the teacher or invigilator hands out
the exam paper and says, ‘you may begin.’ Take a few deep
breaths before you open the paper. Stay calm and remember
to stick to your strategy.
Read all questions carefully and at least twice so that you fully understand
what is being asked of you. Once you’ve read and understood the entire paper
and have allocated times to each question, you might want to jot down or
sketch the core ideas that have come to mind as answers. Depending on the
type of exam, this may also help to structure your thinking. Do this on the
drafting/supplementary paper that has been made available to you. Then,
begin to target the questions which you have selected, about which you know
the answer material. This will allow you to build confidence and will kick-start
the retrieval process in your memory.
Check the clock throughout the exam to make sure you are on track. If you are
beginning to run out of time, jot down keywords or summaries for answers on
the answer sheet/paper. At least this will let the examiner see that you have
the required knowledge (but exam timings may have been miscalculated).
If you are finished early, don’t sit looking around at others. If your peers are
still busy writing their answers, you may well begin to worry unduly and think
you haven’t written enough. Bear in mind they could be rambling. Focus on
whether you have written the concise answer required by the examiner or
teacher. Try to stay on task until the very end of the exam by rereading and
double checking your answers, correcting and improving as you go.
After the Exam
Make sure you plan something enjoyable
after the exam. Once it’s over there is nothing
you can do about it – remember we are only
concerned with what we can control. Some
students like to debrief with friends after
the exam. Don’t turn this into an unhealthy
preoccupation with how you answered
every question. Instead, give yourself a pat on the back for doing your best
and enjoy time with friends or family. As they say in Frozen … “Let it go!”
Page Ref.
S-31
Description
Performance Focus –
Exam Tips and Techniques
Copyright © 2021 Inspire Education
Performance Focus
Here are our top ten tips to help you prepare for the performance ahead.
Page Ref.
S-32
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