4Tests Blog

1) Relax

On the night before your exam, you know what you know and you don’t know what you don’t know. Many people feel cramming the night before we be productive; however, study after study shows that this is not the case. Rather, you should have already prepared for the exam prior to the night before. The earlier you start studying, the more comfortable you will feel with the material. Give yourself at least a week (or two) to review course material. Stop cramming at least two hours before the test, so you can focus on relaxing instead.

2) Take Study Breaks

Step away from your notes and books every now and then. If you were working out at the gym, you wouldn’t want to workout  without a break between sets. Rather you would do multiple sets with short breaks in between. This is the same strategy you want to use when working out your mind. Find what relaxation tips you enjoy and take 10 to 15 minutes every now and then to allow your mind to rest. Doing so will allow you to focus your thoughts better, clear your head and get your juices running. Take regular breaks while studying by taking a short walk, listen to some music or surf the web for a few minutes.

3) Breathe deep and easily.

Deep breathing is a simple technique that allows you to quickly and easily reduce stress. Simply close your eyes, relax your body, think peaceful thoughts and breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Repeat until you feel calm. This technique works well while you’re studying and has shown to be very helpful just before your actual exam.

4) Laugh out loud.

Laughing has many benefits to help you relax. Some of the short term benefits include stimulating may organs, activating and relieving your stress response and soothing tension. Additionally, laughter has been proven to provide long term benefits such as improving your immune system, relieving pain and increasing your personal satisfaction.

If you have a problem laughing out loud and alone, then maybe you could watch a sitcom, or go online and read some funny articles. Even simple things such as watching some videos on Youtube will almost guarantee a burst out loud. Instead of having a breakdown, let yourself laugh and find humor in any situation. This keeps anger, depression and anxiety from setting in and will only help you prepare for your exam.

5) Visualize yourself calm and in control during your exam.

Make yourself comfortable by sitting or lying down and take deep breaths. This is how most visualizations begin. After a little time has passed, close your eyes and spend a few moments the night before and in the last moments prior to an exam visualizing yourself relaxed and ready to work. Visualization techniques help reduce anxiety and prepare you for your exams.

6) Rest the night before an exam.

A good night’s sleep and a well rested body and mind, as opposed to fighting to stay awake during a test is a very simple technique you can employ. Most importantly, a well rested mind will allow you to comprehend and answer complex questions on the exam, so make sure you arrive at your exam well rested.

7) Arrive early to the testing site.

Double check the location and time of your exam the night before and determine when you need to leave your location to arrive at the site early. Feeling rushed before an exam will create unnecessary anxiety. This technique will also allow you some time to practice a few relaxation exercises.

8) Think of the Idiots

Everyone knows someone who passed the exam and just isn’t that smart. This other person didn’t have some secret knowledge or extra time that you didn’t have. They had the same tools and resources available that you’ve probably used as well and somehow they survived and passed the exam.

Before you start your exam, simply remind yourself that if your idiot friend can pass the exam then you won’t have any problems. However, when you finish, don’t let your friend know how they helped you get through the test. After all, you may need to use them as a relaxation method again.

9) Have fun.

We all seem to put so much pressure on ourselves when we take an exam like the SAT, ACT, GED, etc… We seem to feel that if we don’t perform above our ability then it will hinder our future.

The reality is an exam is just a way for you to show others how much you know and understand on certain topics. If you’ve prepared for your exam by utilizing this site and various other study resources then you’ve got plenty of information in your head. The exam will just extract that information and should be viewed as a way for you to brag about how much you know. Using these relaxation tips will help you perform to the best of your ability as you take your exam.