The night before a big test is one of the most stressful nights. It is the time when you are at the culmination of your journey and waiting for that last crucial moment. You have toiled enough for months, and this is the moment you have waited for. At the peak of anxiety, you might be thinking if you have left out anything vital before your exam. Well, this confusion can get you anxious and make you pull an all-nighter right before the exam. Now, this is what we don’t want. Hence, these are some of the things you need to do the night before the D-day!
- Do not do something new the night before the exam – One of the first rules you need to abide by is not trying anything new the night before a crucial examination. Be it a new chapter, a topic, or a new technique for memorizing – do not try anything you have not touched upon in the past. Do not fall for tips and tricks that suggest ways to go through new chapters last minute. Remember to follow what has worked for you previously instead of incorporating newness. Hence, play it safe, and do not risk your big day at any cost!
- Ready everything beforehand – If you are taking an offline exam, then prepare the box of stationery you will carry, the writing board, and your exam entry card (if any). This way, you will not have to search for anything before you leave for your examination, and it will relieve you of a lot of stress. Apart from keeping your essential exam items ready, prepare yourself mentally too. Do not look up the extra resources that your friend suggested to you last minute. And abstain from finding that book which you didn’t touch throughout the year. Be confident with your hard work and be ready mentally to go and sit for your exam the next day.
- Revise – Go through your study notes or the ncert solutions you have previously studied while preparing for the exam. Do not try to do extensive revision where you have to go through each chapter in detail. Skip the topics you did not touch. These solutions by experts will guide you and help you go through the crucial points before the exam. The last revision will give you the confidence that you can retain everything that you have learned. You can also make an exam paper yourself well in advance and solve it the day before your exam to check for any missing puzzle pieces. After taking this test, you can start your revision.
- Sleep well before your exam – Compromising your rest time will not help you ace your exam. Studying the entire year is crucial, but getting adequate sleep the night before is more important. Hence, get a good seven to eight hours of sleep. Ideally, you should revise and go off to sleep. Otherwise, you will feel exhausted and burned out the day before your exam. This decision will naturally make you more irritable, and you can get easily distracted. Hence if you get a good night’s sleep, you will wake up fresh and energized in the morning. This procedure will surely help you go to your exam hall revitalized, and you will ace your exam.
- Take time off from social media – This might sound like a lecture that your parents have already given you. But, taking time off from social media will cut off the distractions. Abstain from using your phone the night before the exam and mindlessly scrolling through Instagram reels or your Facebook feed. You might want to google some doubts that you suddenly have and end up wasting two hours watching dancing videos. Avoid the virtual world for a few days before your exam and continue it until you go and sit for it. The only thing you should keep your focus on is your exam. If you fear that you will lose on something happening on your social media platforms, know that everything else can wait till your exam.
- Do not entertain your friends’ questions – We all have those friends who always come up with doubts the night before the exam. You might feel how ridiculous it is as that friend has questions only before the exam. And amusingly, you will find the person coming right up to you for help. Try avoiding such friends as they might be the potential force of distraction for you. Even though you might have studied with your pals for days, be unavailable the day before your big exam. Spend it only with yourself and with what you have learned. Do not try solving others’ doubts as you might get confused too, which can make you nervous. Hence, limit all your contacts for some days, especially the day before your exam.
- Visualize a positive result and set your alarm – One of the best ways to ensure that you will ace your exam is to have a positive attitude. Many think that they will surely fail even when they have prepared well in advance. Hence, a transition in mindset can work wonders. Try telling yourself that you have done your best, and your hard work will bear its fruits. After this, set your alarm and go off to sleep. The reminder by the clock will wake you up at the correct time. As many do not follow this, they run late on exam day and get all panicked. You do not want this to occur. Hence, take the precaution right from the start.
CONCLUSION:
Do not panic in the exam hall. Take some deep breaths and have confidence in yourself. Remember to give yourself a small reward after your examination for getting through these days because these treats help prepare for our future endeavours!