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This post is co-authored by Maeleigh Tidd.
So you have a university or college exam approaching. Maybe an employer has invited you for an important meeting or a job interview. It’s certainly right to think about what to wear or how to do your hair. But we want to offer thoughts on how to mentally prepare.
Richert: I haven’t written an exam for a while, I’ve only given them out to students for the past few years. On the other hand, I have had my fair share of high stakes interviews. So the ideas below flow from my personal experience and observations! You may not be able to eliminate the stress, but perhaps you can harness it and make it work for you.
Tidd: I’m currently at the beginning of a Ph.D., and the following thoughts are aimed at doing your absolute best during your exam or your interview.
Locate a cozy, quiet place with minimal distractions
Richert: Find a comfortable spot where you know you won’t be interrupted. Get a frothy coffee (if you drink coffee, that is). Make sure the place is relatively quiet with limited distractions. (Throughout my university career, I found natural light worked best for me.)
Tidd: If you’re like me, you might work best with some soft music in the background! Put your headphones in, find your “get down to business” playlist, and settle in.
Prepare in small chunks of time
Richert: But not for too long. Aim for two-hour blocks with a 15-minute break work. Our concentration wavers after prolonged stretches. Studies indicate that smallish windows of time help many people focus and retain information.
Tidd: Move around. Get up. Get some water, stretch, or check your messages. But be true to the 15-minute break, set a timer on your phone if you’re one to get side-tracked.
Don’t skip the background work
Richert: Sit down on your comfy chair and review the job specifications closely; make sure to think about answering questions that relate to your successes and failures in the past. Also, make sure you have concrete examples to talk about. (When I had a job interview last year, I familiarized myself with the company’s mission, vision, and five-year plan. It’s worthwhile to develop an understanding of the big picture and go from there.)
Tidd: Now, if you are prepping for a big test, familiarize yourself with the course outline for information about the learning outcomes of the class. Look at previous quizzes or exam papers from years gone by.
Get prepped by doing
This is the most extended entry here. That is because there are some ways of putting the necessary time in.
Richert: Speak out loud instead of merely reading. Answer a potential interview question as you would during the actual interview! You could video yourself and review yourself. Watch for eye contact and listen for your ums and ahs and carefully monitor your body language, which speaks volumes to employers. Practice. Practice. And practice. If studying for an exam, teach others what you have learned. I tell this to my students all the time. Communicate what you’re studying. Maybe that person is your gran or your goldfish. Perhaps it is your brother, boyfriend, or potted plant.
Tidd: Write practice tests under test-like conditions (timed and with your books closed). Park your backend and simulate the exam. You will be happier for play-acting when the real test kicks off. Most importantly, give yourself enough time to prepare! For me, I found that starting to study a week before the exam work best. Every night I would review a lecture/topic and then the night before putting all the topics/learning objectives together.
Find yourself a team
Tidd: When I am preparing myself for exams, I had three or four friends that I worked with. It’s different for everyone, but find yourself an upbeat, hardworking group. However, keep in mind that you’re working together to study for that big exam, hold each other accountable for staying on track!
Richert: Spend time prepping with others that you trust. Even better, these people have been through the process before. Choose partners who have the same general level of knowledge and commitment. These people should offer you constructive criticism and tons of high-fives! You should be able to accept both.
Keep a regular schedule
You must be sure to eat right, get enough sleep, and take time to exercise. Don’t get caught up in the moment and forget about your general wellbeing. Don’t sacrifice what you love, whether that’s cooking, or going to a yoga class, or getting a full eight hours.
Richert: Whatever you do, don’t stay up all night before the big day! That increases stress.
(Quite honestly, I was a ‘crammer’ for the first few years of university. And what a bone-headed mistake that was!)
Tidd: My motto in school was if I didn’t know the material 12 hours before the exam, I am just not going to know it. Give your brain the rest it needs, don’t try to cram last-minute information in.
Richert: There is a lot to say about social media and destressing. Generally, some social media during your study period could help you connect with others going through the process.
Tidd: But during your short two-hour study chunks, close down your laptop. Turn off your phone. (If you’re one that gets distracted by the “pinging” or vibration of a notification, turn your phone on Do Not Disturb.) Forget about Instagram and Reddit. Never mind your Twitter or Facebook. Remember, you’re trying to get prepped with minimal distractions during small windows of time. Be sure to tug yourself away from distracting sites. (Heck, even consider muting these app notifications or deleting the apps off your phone the week of that big exam or interview.)
Find time for ‘you’ on the day
Richert: Before the exam or the interview, go for a walk. Center yourself. Focus. You’ve put the time in. Recognition of this fact will help defuse and de-stress the moment.
Tidd: But the key is to spend that walk relaxing. Don’t fill your mind with the potential interview/exam questions or the one topic you just can’t seem to get straight. Fill your mind with positive thoughts, and walk into the interview/exam confidently.
Richert: When I visited Fredericton, New Brunswick for a day-long interview a year or so ago I made sure to take fifteen minutes halfway through the day. It wasn’t a huge amount, but it gave me a moment to collect myself – to reflect. (I didn’t get the job!)
Tidd: Arrive with plenty of time that you wouldn’t be late if something were to get in the way. But also don’t arrive too early to where you freak yourself out. If you can, eliminate discussing with others that are taking the exam or up for the interview. Get in your zone.
Richert: Finally, during the exam/interview, focus on what you do know rather than what you wish you had spent more time studying. Breathe deeply. Smile.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to potentially life-altering moments such as exams and interviews, stress and anxiety come with the territory. It’s important to recognize these events as necessary. And it’s just as crucial to have a plan and address the events head-on. Others have written about stress-busting and self-care on Psychology Today, and I’d recommend taking a look at some of these articles.
(A version of this appeared on HavingTime.com)
