Exams tips

Read these helpful exam tips to help you finish your first semester confidently and succesfully. There are tips for general preparation, on the day, during the exam and what to do when you have finished the exam. Good luck!

General Preparation:

Sleep
Get plenty of sleep the night before. Try not to cram, it is far more beneficial to get a good night’s rest so that you have energy to blitz the exam. If you do need to do a bit of last minute studying, try to wake up earlier instead.

Check the time twice
Make sure you double check that you have written the exam times down properly. 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 health diet. Stress lowers your immune system and can make you susceptible to getting sick. Don't over work your body.

Eat a good meal
Eat a proper meal before your exam, so that your brain can function properly. Eat nutritious foods with a combination of carbohydrates, vegetables and proteins.

Avoid alcohol
It may seem obvious, but avoid alcohol while you study. You need all of the brain cells you can get!

Keep perspective
Don't worry yourself to the point where your knowledge and skills are compromised by the stress.

On the day:

Wear warm clothes
It is a good idea to where layers to an exam, including a jumper and jacket. The main exam room has concrete floors and can be very cold in winter, especially in the morning. By the afternoon, the rooms may warm up though, so you may even get too warm. Be prepared for all seasons.

Take your student card
The invigilators will need to identify you by your student card to allow you to sit the exam. If you forget your card, your photo will be taken with a Polaroid Camera. You must then show your student card at your school office within 2 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! 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, park your car (if you drive) and find the pavilion. There are seats available outside the pavilion so get there early, and de-stress before it starts. Car parking is available for a small fee at the showgrounds and Adelaide Metro buses go down Goodwood Road and stop outside the grounds.

When you arrive:

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

Getting prepared once inside
When you arrive, get what you need out of your bag, and then put it under your desk. You cannot open your bag once the exam has started, so make sure that you put everything you need on your desk. Invigilators discourage pencil cases, and they will check them, so keep pencils loose or in a 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. They will add to your stress and make you doubt what you know.

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, and 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 (if it was an emotional/compassionate reason) or a doctor if it was a medical reason. 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 may become clearer.

After the exam

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 will be less likely to burn out.