I’m sure we have all felt that nervous feeling in our stomach waiting for the results of an exam grade. I’ve felt that feeling so many times I have diagnosed myself with testing anxiety lol! Just kidding, but I’m sure we all have some sort of anxiety when it comes to nursing exams or any exams of that nature. During my nursing school journey, I had to find a way to get through the exams with a reduced amount of stress. If I didn’t find a solution, I definitely would have failed out. I even met with an advisor to discuss my testing situation.
After a couple sessions, I figured out the secret for me that would reduce my testing anxiety and become confident in test taking.
1. After every lecture, I read through all of my lecture notes for at least 1 hour. This helped me reduce the amount of time studying for the exam and helped me to retain the information. By doing this method, I did not have to cram a couple of days before the exam.
2. One week before the exam I would start my intense studying. I would study for about 2 hours a day. Once I was comfortable with the material, I then studied with a group of classmates. I think it is a great idea to study with a group once the material is understood. There might be some concepts that you missed during your independent study session so collecting information from your peers is beneficial.
3. After every exam I would go back over my lectures and notes to highlight all the material that was on the exam. There is no guarantee that the same questions will be on the final exam but this can be a tip on what material instructors felt was important enough to be on the exam. There is a possibility a similar version of the question will be on the final exam.
4. The day before an exam I would study in the morning and quit studying by noon so that my brain wouldn’t go into overload lol! I would definitely get at least 8 hrs of sleep if I could and the morning of the exam I would get to school at least an hour early to get situated and get my mind in a good space. On the car ride there, I would either drive in silence or listen to gospel music to get me in the right head space. I would always say a prayer and ask God to give me the knowledge and ability to get through the exam the best way I knew how.
These tips worked for me and hopefully you can use one or two that may work for you! Drop a comment below and let me know some of your tips you use to get through exams. Remember “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13
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