You aren’t allowed to have your friends over, and your parents have confiscated your cellphone. Like it or not, it’s that time of year folks! Exams are rapidly approaching…

How do you feel about exams? Does the mere thought of writing a two hour paper cause your stomach to lurch? Or do you feel cool, calm and collected, confident that you have these exams in the bag?

Allow me to hand you the key to acing exams: confidence. Not to be confused with over-confidence: not studying for exams because you are certain you will achieve your desired mark! What I mean is that you need to believe in yourself. In an exam, you must have faith in your answers and refrain from second-guessing yourself, as this could chuck away marks! If you have a positive attitude, you are one step closer to achieving your exam goal.

You need to set a goal for yourself before the exams. Don’t be super-unrealistic, for example, wanting to get an A in every single subject, when you are usually a C student, as it can be disheartening when you don’t achieve these goals. Rather aim for one symbol higher, for example Bs when you are a C student, taking baby steps towards your dream As in matric.

Preparation is one of the most essential elements for excelling in exams. Many of my friends are terrible at time-managing(either that, or they’re REALLY lazy!) and study their work for the first time during the one and a half hour study session we are given before our exam starts. Now these poor sods are feeling very sorry for themselves because now we’re in grade 10 and we are no longer given study sessions. So, to avoid any uncomfortable situations such as the above-mentioned, I suggest that you start studying two weeks to a month in advance of you exams. Not only will your parents finally be convinced that you are responsible, but your marks will also thank you for your commitment!

Study in a way that you are comfortable with, and what you feel will help you reach your exam goals, but make sure that whatever you are doing isn’t disturbing other people in the house. Everyone has their own preferred learning style that is determined by their strengths and what they enjoy. For example, I am a verbal-linguistic learner and I prefer to study by reading my notes out loud and writing down important things.

Talk the online quiz to discover you’re learning styles and receive tips on how to use you learning style to your advantage.

I hope I have helped you come to terms with exams and achieve your full potential! Happy studying!