There is nothing worse than walking out of an exam and having the feeling that you have just failed. Here are some handy tips for loosening that knot in your stomach and preventing panic mode from taking over…
Don’t speak to anyone about the exam
This is my number one rule always. Talking to others, even your friends about the exam does not change the answers you wrote and it can convince you that your answers were wrong or that you interpreted a question wrong. The best thing to do after an exam is say, ‘I think it went okay – but let’s not talk about it’. Or even better, tell your friends before the exam that you don’t want to talk about it afterwards.
Don’t obsess
This is particularly important if you still have other exams. Every moment you spend obsessing about the exam you just sat, is a moment you are taking away from your success in the next exam, or from your enjoyment of the summer holidays.
You can’t control what’s already happened, and if you keep reminding yourself of that and focus on the things you can control, such as an upcoming exam, applications for holiday work experience, etc you will feel much better for it.
Distract yourself
Don’t spend your time between the exam and the release of results stressing; instead, do some things that you actually enjoy doing. Catching up with friends, enjoying your hobby, or going on a trip will help to remind you that the world is bigger than university and your law degree.
It is natural to look back and wonder if you could have done better, but remember it is really difficult to predict the outcome of exams. There’s every chance that the exam went much better than you think it did.
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