Exams tips

Sleep smart - Get plenty of sleep the night before your exam and try not to cram - it's more beneficial to get a good night’s rest and do any last minute studying the morning of the exam.

Check the time twice - Make you double check your exam times -  you aren’t eligible for a supplementary exam if you missed the exam because you misread the timetable.

Stay healthy - Take care of yourself during exam periods, stay warm, get lots of sleep and maintain a healthy diet. Stress lowers your immune system and can make you susceptible to getting sick.

Eat well - Eat a nutritious meal (a combination of carbohydrates, vegetables and proteins) before your exam to allow your brain to function effectively.

Avoid alcohol - Avoiding alcohol while you study will help you maintain effective brain function and will allow you to feel your best on the day of the exam.

Keep perspective - Do your best with confidence - worrying can cause stress and jeopardise your knowledge, skills and performance.

Be prepared for all seasons - Wear multiple layers including a jacket as the main exam room has concrete floors and can be very cold in winter, but can also heat up.

Take your student card - To sit the exam, the invigilators supervising the exam will need to identify you with your student card. If you forget your card, your photo will be taken with a Polaroid Camera and you must then show your student card at your school office within two days of the exam.

Take snacks - Take healthy snacks with you to eat during the exam. Try to take foods that won’t distract other people, like noisy packets or crunchy chips. The best snack foods for exams are nuts, dried fruit and lollies if you think that you will need the sugar.

Always take water - Stay hydrated and focussed during exams.

Medication - If you are prone to headaches or any other ailments take your medication with you as this may save you from having to sit a supplementary exam a few weeks later.

Allow plenty of time to get there - Minimise stress by allowing plenty of time to get to the exam. There are seats available outside the pavilion so get there early, and de-stress before it starts.

Travelling there - Car parking is available for a small fee at the showgrounds and Adelaide Metro buses go down Goodwood Road and stop outside the grounds.

Choose a good seat - Try to sit near the front or middle of the exam room so that you aren’t distracted if people behind you leave. This will help to alleviate the stress of thinking that you aren’t doing as well as others. If you feel the cold, try to avoid walkways.

Getting prepared once inside - When you arrive take what you need out of your bag, and then put it on or under your desk as you cannot open your bag once the exam has started. Invigilators discourage pencil cases, so keep pencils loose or in a see through snap bag if required.

Avoid friends who stress - If you have friends that stress and worry before an exam, try to avoid them before the exam as they will add to your stress.

Adelaide vs UniSA - UniSA also runs exams at the showgrounds, so make sure you are at the right place at the right time. Don’t follow UniSA signage; stick to anything marked with ‘The University of Adelaide’.

What to do if you can’t attend the exam - If you cannot make it to the exam you need to get a form filled out by a counsellor for emotional/compassionate reasons or by a doctor for medical reasons. These forms need to be filled out on the day of your exam and can be downloaded from the examinations website.

Start with the easy questions - Do the easy questions that you know first and come back to the difficult ones afterwards. Jot down notes and ideas that you have about the difficult questions and come back to them after you have done the parts that you know. As you work through your exam, the answers to those difficult questions may become clearer.

Reward yourself and relax - After an exam, take some time to relax and de-stress. This is especially important if you have more exams to follow. Take your mind off of exams by hanging out with friends or seeing a movie and you'll be less likely to burn out.