These Tips are Here to Help you Survive Exam Week.

Megan Henwood, Jan 16 2020

With exam week fast approaching, many Trojans are feeling the pressure. Whether you have exams stacking up or final projects due, exam week can be a stressful time for many. It is, however, a very redeeming time as well, and very rewarding once it’s over with. So I set out and asked staff and students what THEY think are some great ways to get the best out of their final evaluations, and make it through exam week successfully.

Time to Fill, not Time to Spare - Sarah Tardif

"Colour code your stuff! Use warm colours for important stuff that you have trouble remembering, and put important points in a colour that's going to stand out so you can pick up from there if you need to look away.

If you're allowed gum in your exam room, chewing gum of a certain flavour while studying can improve the brains capacity to retrieve info as its associated with the taste. Write your notes down again and again, as this exercise encodes the information deeper into your memory.

For interviews, videotape yourself. It sucks, but it shows where you can improve linguistically and wit your body language. And always assume you have time to fill, not time to spare."

Eat Well, Maintain Your Schedule, and Take Breaks - Mr Snelgrove

"Everyone hates to hear this, but make sure you are eating healthy! Food is literally the fuel your brain uses. Fats can't pass through the blood-brain barrier. Also, make sure you are going to bed and waking up at the same time, even on days you don't have exams. When studying, make sure you don't go 45 minutes without taking a break or switching subjects. This method really helped me through high school and university during exam times."

Use Coloured Pens - Robyn Leger

"I have to write everything using coloured pens or else I don't remember it. Rewrite your notes in colour and there's a 105% chance you'll do great. I also tend to do much better when I don't try to cram a bunch of stuff into my head before a test. Don't look at your notes any more the day of the test. I find I'm less stressed that way."

Make a Study Schedule - Marcella Miller

"If you make a plan of what you’re going to study and when you plan on studying it, and give yourself breaks in between, it helps manage stress and you'll actually learn something from it. The schedule helps to stay on track while knowing you’ll get everything you need done. Taking breaks will give you time to process all that information, and are important so you don't overwork yourself."

Look at Memes - Amber King

"I look at memes about studying to motivate me to study."

Get a Blank Piece of Paper - Mr Stewart

"When it comes to studying, you need to pay the price. That means if you have to cram the night before, do it.

The best way to study, I find, was to get a blank piece of paper and write every single thing down that I knew about the course from memory. Then, I would take my notes and compare what I wrote to what was in my notes. If it was almost spot on, I knew my stuff, but if there were a lot of holes between the notes and what was on the paper I would focus more on that.

In university, one of the things I did was record my notes onto my phone so that while I was busy doing things like driving or doing dishes, I would play the notes over and over. If I was really cramped, I would find related movies to what I was studying (etc. Language Arts, documentaries) and watch them. These helped because I was working and taking care of a kid while I was in school. Something funny I did, for my art history courses I would make up songs and record them. I would talk about the paintings like I was a radio host, and it was really effective for the less obvious things.

When it comes to writing the exams, put down what you know, even if you don't know all of it because at least there's something to mark. 'I don't know this, I'm leaving it blank' is a terrible strategy."