To succeed in the exam season, organisation is paramount. One of the characteristics of this season is that there is assessment after assessment, day after day.

As a result, many students become overwhelmed, sleepless and full of stress during this time of the semester. With these tips, we’ll help you get through exams in the most efficient way.

1. Start preparing for exams in advance

There will be so much content to go over that you won’t be able to study it all in a few days. That’s why you should start preparing weeks in advance. Don’t leave all your homework and reading to the last minute.

If you already have the dates of your assessments, organise yourself so that you can read and review notes several days a week. At least two days a week, set aside an hour for each subject. Some subjects are likely to be more demanding than others, so organise your time as you see fit.

During this study time, make sure you achieve mastery of the subjects by doing relevant research and reading. Another good method is to make summaries that you can refer back to later.

We also recommend that you make a calendar in which you indicate the days when you will have exams. This will help you visualise which ones are closer and how many days you have to prepare.

The goal is that when the exam date approaches, you will only have to review and reinforce the knowledge.

2. Make concept maps and summaries

As mentioned above, summaries are a good way to review information quickly. This resource along with concept mapping is used to condense the content by highlighting the most important facts and what you should not forget.

These tools will be very useful to remember everything you need to know without having to read the whole content again. To make the visual presentation of the content more attractive and simpler, consider:

• Using a colour system to highlight headings, subheadings, main ideas and important facts.
• Draw clouds of information, arrows and boxes to point out what you need to memorise.
• Present your ideas in an organised way

3. Have a suitable space to study

Where you study can greatly affect your ability to concentrate. Therefore, we recommend the following:

• Sit in a comfortable chair
• Have enough space for all your materials; books, laptop, notebooks.
• Have good lighting
• Stay away from your mobile phone and all devices that may distract you.
• Mute social media notifications while you study.

Having a tidy space will help you stay focused on the tasks at hand. Also, eliminating distractions is essential to stay focused and be as efficient as possible.

4. Be part of study groups

Exchanging and discussing ideas in a group is an excellent way to assimilate information more easily. Therefore, being part of study groups will boost your learning and help you memorise more content.

Plus, the challenge of keeping up with your peers will keep you motivated. It’s one of the most enriching challenges you can set for yourself at university.

5. Get enough rest

Studying all the time is impossible and exhausting. Many people believe that studying as many hours a day as possible will guarantee success. However, the truth is that this habit only brings tiredness and drudgery.

At the end of the day, you will spend more hours trying to understand the content than you would if you had enough rest. For this reason, we advise you to take regular breaks.

Sleep when you need to, walk around town and have fun with friends once in a while. These breaks will keep your stress levels in check and improve your ability to retain information.

6. Eat in the healthiest way

Food has a big impact on your energy level and your ability to concentrate, so it’s best to stay away from junk food. And of course, avoid skipping meals.

Now more than ever, your body needs fuel to cope with all the mental and physical strain you are about to expose yourself to. Make time to cook on weekends. Or, try to buy healthy food by avoiding fast food chains.

Keep in mind that healthy, balanced meals provide energy over a long period of time. Similarly, it is important to eat well on exam days.

7. Drink enough water

As well as eating well, drinking water is important to keep you energised. The brain is 80% water, so you need to stay hydrated to keep it functioning at its full potential.

Ideally, you should apply these practices all the time. Once they become part of your study habits, it will be easier to assimilate information and prepare for exams.