Don't let nerves ruin your chances of exam success - by Adel Albloushi

People all over the world have a problem with stress during or before exams. But some of them use stress as a motivational force, to make themselves focus and work harder, whereas some of them can't control their anxiety and they forget what they prepared instantly, unless they find a way to deal with it.

To be honest, I myself have a problem controlling my nerves during tests. For example, in my first IELTS speaking exam, I was so anxious and my whole body was shaking. My friend told me that I looked like a zombie. When the speaking review started the examiner asked me “What's your name?” and because I was so nervous I forgot my own name!!! The examiner stared at me – I was so embarrassed that I didn’t answer her question. After this horrible day, I tried hard to relax and I gathered lots of tips from different people which helped me to control myself and they worked. I hope they will work for you dear readers.

Obviously, the final exams are coming up and here are some tips to help you to revise for them. First, make an overview of what you want to revise and break each subject down into manageable chunks, then make headings and allocate each subject on a monthly or weekly planner. Aim to break your revision with five minutes rest after every hour. Develop a technique for question analysis and planing answers to use in the test. One tip could be to make answers in funny way to make them easier to remember.

There are also some tips which can help you to deal with stress. You shouldn't drink a lot of coffee, tea and energy drinks because the caffeine will hype you up and make your thinking less clear. Try out some yoga, tai-chi and relaxation exercises because they help you to keep feeling calm and balanced. Try to use stress in a a useful way, i.e. to help you to focus more, work harder and prevent you from making mistakes.

All in all, you are not the first or the last person to do exams. Therefore, don't let your failures and mistakes slow you down: you should learn from your mistakes and try to not do them again. This will make you more successful not only in your studying, but also in your whole life. Finally, if none of the above tips have helped you, see your doctor.