Top Tips for Surviving University Exams

There’s a lot to love about uni life, including lengthy breaks in-between class, uni bar happy hour and discounted travel. There is however, an ominous time each semester that has most student’s biting their nails – exam time.

Cramming in a semester’s worth of information in one week can be draining, so we put together this handy university exam survival guide to help you finish the semester on a high and land those prized distinctions. 

1. Start exam preparation early

A student studying Economics will be given a much different exam to someone studying Creative Arts. That’s why it’s important to study according to your course.

If you know that you will be given an essay, start practicing your essay writing well in advance. Most universities will have a section on their website that will run you through the basics of writing a good essay.

Alternatively, if you know that you will be given multiple-choice questions, take the time to go through the main topics and themes you have learnt throughout the semester.

2. Set goals

Who doesn’t want a nice HD on their exam results? The best way to score those top marks is to set some goals, as soon as you know what’s in store.

A smart idea is to create an exam study timetable and treat your studying just like you would work, where you start studying from 9:00am until 5:00pm, and always include a lunch break because who can study for 8 hours straight? If you find your apartment distracting you may want to consider heading to one of our study rooms or your university’s library, where your classmates are also studying.

3. Manage pre-exam stress

Pulling an all nighter before an exam will most certainly add to your stress levels. Get a full 8 hours sleep and as you’ve heard countless times have a decent size breakfast, so you have the fuel you need to smash out your exam and score top marks.

We’ve also heard horror stories of students getting lost and missing the exam completely, so always check out where it is a few days early and try to arrive well in advance, to give yourself plenty of prep time.

4. Learn exam techniques

There’s an art to taking an exam and one of the main techniques is reading the questions carefully, as a misinterpreted question could mean you give the wrong answer. Make sure your handwriting is legible because this will also affect your score, if the marker is unable to read your writing.

Finally always make sure you keep track of the time and if you find yourself struggling to answer a question move on, so that you can get more marks in the upcoming questions.