Feeling pressure about your final assessments? See these tips to calm your nerves
For many students, the end-of unit assessment (EoUA) period can be one of the most stressful times of the trimester. It’s completely normal to be a little stressed because you are putting pressure on yourself to achieve good marks, or worrying about personal or family expectations, or worrying about how to do it all with the time you have left. But we’re here to help you through it!
The EoUA period runs from Monday 3 to Friday 14 June, so make sure you understand the requirements for your units and see our recent tips on how to prepare.
Once you’re familiar with the academic side of things, you may still need to keep any nerves under control. Thankfully, there’s some tried and tested ways to relax your mind, turn stressors into strengths and get in the zone to ace your final assessments.
Stay active
You may have heard of endorphins – chemicals produced by the body to relieve stress and pain. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, along with dopamine, which helps you to stay motivated, and serotonin, a hormone that helps to make you feel good.
If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed by pre-exam stress, or you’re unable to focus after hours of reading, exercise is one of the simplest ways to stay positive. Even 15–30 minutes of exercise is useful, so include some ‘active time’ in your study routine.
Reframe unhelpful thoughts
While sitting an exam can feel daunting, remember that they’re not designed to trick you or catch you out. Focusing on negative self-talk like ‘I’m underprepared’ or ‘My life will be ruined if I fail’ can increase stress and anxiety, and significantly affect exam performance.
‘The more you try to eliminate nerves, the stronger they get!’ says Alison Lau, a Deakin student counsellor.
Nerves are normal, so acknowledge their existence. Guard against worst-case scenarios of forgetting or failing and bring yourself back to the here and now: the assessment.
‘Slow down thoughts with calm and even breathing, drink water if you’re sweating and breathe deeply if your heart is pounding. Then do your best!’ says Alison.
Reframe your thoughts by focusing on your abilities and setting realistic expectations. Think of your exam as an opportunity to demonstrate all the knowledge you’ve picked up this trimester. If you still need some guidance to manage your self-talk, discover how to tame your inner critic with our Self-Compassion podcast on the DeakinWELLBEING app.
Get SMART with your goals
If you feel so overwhelmed by exam preparation that you don’t know where to start, you might find yourself procrastinating. To make an important task feel more achievable and increase your chance of success, set SMART goals that are:
- Specific – what is your goal? Make a list of well-defined goals that reflect what you want to achieve.
- Measurable – how can you keep track of your progress? Measurable goals will help you evaluate if you achieved your goal.
- Achievable/Attainable – what is your plan? Is your goal realistic given the time and resources available to you?
- Relevant – how will this goal help you?
- Time-bound – when will you achieve this goal/how will you know it is completed?
Many students find the Pomodoro technique – committing to 25-minute blocks of study, broken up with short breaks – useful for managing a large study load. You can find a Pomodoro timer on the DeakinWELLBEING app.
Be kind to yourself
Don’t let studying for exams consume every waking hour – you still need to make time each day for the things you love.
Prioritising other areas of your life besides study will allow you to be your best, energised and most happy self, so that you can prepare for exams in a productive and effective way.
Keep calm with your breathing
Deep breathing is a simple and effective way to help you feel calm, and manage stress and anxiety. Try taking a few deep breaths whenever you notice your stress levels rising, such as while you’re studying or just before your exam.
To slow down your breathing, inhale to the count of four and exhale to the count of six. When you lengthen your exhalations to be longer than your inhalations, your body begins to switch on your parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn will calm you down.
Focusing on something as simple as breathing helps to quieten those racing thoughts by acting as a temporary and soothing distraction. Try some of the mindfulness strategies and podcasts on the DeakinWELLBEING app, or find additional breathing exercises to help you relax on apps such as Smiling Mind.
Talk with someone
While these strategies can help you to manage stress during assessment time, if anxiety is an ongoing challenge please confide in a family member, friend or counsellor about how you’re feeling. Seeking support will remind you that you’re not alone and may lighten some of that pressure.
Our Counselling and Psychological Support (CAPS) team offers free and confidential support to Deakin students located in Australia from highly skilled psychologists and social workers. Book online to have a real-time telehealth appointment. We also have specialist counsellors available for First Nations, School of Nursing and Midwifery, and School of Medicine students – you just need to select your relevant cohort when you book.
You may also find Ask Counselling helpful. This online resource provides advice on emotional and psychological issues – you can either browse existing questions and answers or post your own anonymous question for a personalised reply.
Remember the DeakinWELLBEING app is always available to you, and includes interactive tools, videos and podcasts that can enhance relaxation, focus, energy, mood and productivity in minutes.
Best of luck with your final assessments!