As final exams approach, high school students and university students may experience significant pressure, requiring long hours of study. However, exam preparation does not necessarily have to mean sacrificing sleep, spending all waking hours with books, or letting stress take over.
According to Katie Knott, a counseling psychologist and program manager at Bridging Year Academy within the non-profit educational organization Good Work Foundation, the key to more effective exam preparation is to work smarter, not harder. Knott offers five practical recommendations that can help students improve concentration, memory retention, and stress management during exams.
While a sleepless night might seem like a way to catch up on lost study time, adequate sleep is critically important for learning and memory. Knott advises aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep every night while maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. Quality sleep helps the brain process and retain information, making it an essential part of exam preparation.
Social media notifications, messages, and the temptation to endlessly scroll through feeds can seriously hinder concentration. Knott recommends keeping the phone out of the room during study sessions, rather than just putting it on silent mode. She explains that even having the phone nearby can distract students from deep work—the focused concentration necessary to grasp the material being studied. To improve sleep, she also advises charging the phone in another room at night.
If you find it difficult to concentrate for long periods, breaking study time into shorter intervals can help. The Pomodoro Technique involves studying without distractions for 25 minutes, followed by a five-minute break. During the break, you should get up from your desk, stretch, have a snack, or take a short walk before returning to your books. After four such study sessions, it is recommended to take a longer break before starting the next cycle. The goal of this method is to make the learning process more manageable by giving the brain regular opportunities to rest and recharge.
Simply rereading notes multiple times may not be the most effective way to prepare for an exam. Knott recommends active recall—a method where information is retrieved from memory rather than just reread. Students can practice active recall by answering past exams without consulting notes, quizzing themselves on key concepts, writing down everything they remember about a topic before checking their notes, or explaining a concept to another person. Past papers also help students become accustomed to the format of exam questions and identify areas needing more attention. Alternatively, group study or explaining material to a friend can help students identify gaps in understanding. It is important to choose an approach that encourages you to actively engage with the study material.
Not all stress is negative. In Knott's view, eustress, or positive stress, can motivate people, sharpen their focus, and provide energy to solve problems. Feeling nervous before an exam is normal. The task is to manage these feelings so that they stimulate preparation rather than causing feelings of overwhelm. Knott describes eustress as a type of nervous energy that helps people meet deadlines, give presentations, and tackle complex tasks. Nevertheless, excessive stress can impede concentration, while too little can lead to a loss of motivation. Recognizing when you feel overwhelmed and using healthy coping strategies can help restore focus.
It is important to remember balance. Final exams are important, but effective preparation goes beyond the number of hours spent. Adequate sleep, limiting distractions, taking regular breaks, practicing active recall, and managing stress will help students approach exams with greater confidence. Instead of trying to do everything at once, the focus should be on building stable study habits and ensuring that study time is as productive as possible.