Combat Revision Anxiety With Ellie and Joao's Tips

Feeling the stresses of revision? NCS grads, Ellie and João can help. Based on their previous experience, here’s their advice on how to manage stress and anxiety in the run up to your exams...

Whether you’re prepared and ready for the upcoming exams or you haven’t a clue what to do, everyone gets a bit nervous when they’re revising, and it’s totally normal to feel like that. Here are some tips to ease that revision anxiety.

If You're A Seriously Studious Student...

João says, “Don’t stop doing what you love”
As you enter the times ahead, the worst thing to do is to let go of the things that keep you grounded. Giving yourself time to be happy and have fun will give you a boost if things get stressful. Should you prioritise your studies? Sure. But don’t be afraid to schedule in some time to let loose. It’s important. You matter. 

“Create a routine” advises João
We thrive off routine and rhythm. By creating a comfortable, quiet revision spot or by finding a time of day when you always revise and sticking to it, it will become a familiar concept, not a scary one. 

Ellie suggests, “If it gets too much, just take a break”
Everyone needs a bit of a break, so if you feel it’s getting too much, just stop. Go for a walk, watch a YouTube video, play a video game, do something you enjoy for half an hour, an hour, however long it takes for you to be calm and be ready to get back into that revision grind.

When I was doing my exams, and my revision anxiety got too much, I would always just go outside and sit in my garden for a while, maybe listen to music, and let the peacefulness of the outside world calm me down. Simple things like that can easily help you with your anxieties!

If You're A Last-Minute Crammer

“It’s all about mindset” João says
Put your best foot forward before you even start doing anything. Think it into existence, believe in yourself, give yourself pep talks in the mirror if you have to (I know I did!). Regardless of what you do, you will achieve it ten times better with some positivity and self belief. Make sure you keep this up and revision will become less about being a burden and more about being a means to achieve your goals. 

Ellie recommends that you “Make a plan”
This may be the thing that all your teachers have told you, you may have heard it a million times, and I got tired of hearing it too, but it’s true! Making a plan helps so much with revision. As soon as I started to plan out my weeks against my exam timetable and prioritising subjects, a weight was lifted from my shoulders.

Knowing what to do and when I was going to do it was so beneficial. It allowed me to not let my mountains of revision conquer me, but for me to conquer it. 

João warns, “Don’t isolate yourself”
The number one thing that kept me going through exams was the people around me. A lot of people tend to distance themselves and are left alone with their stress and difficulties. It’s important to remember you are not alone – far from it. 

Take time to talk about how you’re doing. Check on your friends. Look after them. It will create a smoother, more friendly and stress-free atmosphere that you can all thrive in.

And for everyone, it's important to remember... 

“Exams aren’t the end of the world” explains Ellie
Whatever you do, don’t let yourself think that your whole life revolves around your exams! All through my exams I was worrying about what would happen if my grades weren’t what I wanted. Would that limit my choice of colleges? Would it stop me from getting into the profession I want? Etc, etc.

Then, after my exams, I realised I shouldn’t let my education rely on a set of letters/numbers and that I had the ability to do whatever I wanted with or without good grades, and you can too.

Good luck to anyone doing exams soon, you’ll smash them, and if you don’t, don’t worry, go on to be amazing anyway. Just remember, “Anyone from anywhere can do anything.”- Tyler Joseph.