Mistakes I made in exam season & what I learnt from them

If you have struggled through exam season, trust me, you are not alone!

I am in my fourth year of university and exam season still comes with its struggles, but each one has taught me something useful - from how to study better, how to plan and even how to prioritise and look after myself.

With exam season fast approaching, I thought I would share some of my mistakes and what I have learnt from them.

Last minute revision

The first, and a very common, mistake is starting my revision too late. In previous years I would put off the idea of revising or convince myself that I would just remember it in the exam. Unfortunately, I was so wrong about that! I would start my revision at the very last minute and cause myself even more unnecessary stress.

This year I decided I did not want that panic feeling as the exam was approaching, so I made the effort to organise myself and understand my exams so I could plan ahead of time and decide how to revise. Along with this, I also made use of the Academic Skills team in the Library. They provided sessions on a range of topics that helped me prepare and I even had a 1:1 with them to go through how I procrastinate and what I can do to improve this year. Honestly I have never felt more prepared for an exam than I have this year!

Making notes look pretty

Another mistake I would make is spending too much time creating the revision materials and making them look nice rather than actually learning the content. Whilst I felt as though I was being productive in the library, I was definitely not being effective in my revision.

I soon learnt that this was not an effective way for me to revise and that I understand topics and revise better from doing active recall and ‘blurting’ the content onto a whiteboard. This year I made quick notes in a notepad around my exam topics and the research I had done, and then spent the majority of my revision time doing those methods and it definitely made me feel more confident for my exams.

Time management

Another habit that held me back in exam season was underestimating how long everything takes. Exam seasons are stressful and learning how to balance your time between revision for exams and finishing all your assignments is difficult. I noticed that I was being unrealistic with timings for pieces of work and then feeling let down when I wouldn’t have finished them in that time slot.

Again, for this, I went to the Academic Skills team to get their help on how to balance this. Their advice was great and so supportive, I now break all my tasks into smaller chunks allowing my work to feel manageable, I plan my week and can prioritise my workload. I also changed my mindset around these working sessions, instead of saying to myself "I need 600 words written in the hour and half that I gave myself", I now just allow the same time period, but I tell myself I will just write as much as I can. Remember, a little is better than nothing at all!

Phone distractions

I think many students will agree with this mistake, but I always let my phone destroy my focus. I would constantly check it to see notifications and then I would end up scrolling on Instagram or TikTok for way too long! This really disrupts my work and would mean I would then need to spend longer each day sitting at my desk because I procrastinated too much.

I have since learnt to keep my phone at a distance when I need to work or study and make use of the ‘work’ mode settings on my phone to limit the distractions. I also worked on shifting my mindset around the time studying, telling myself that if I just focused now and got more work done, then later I could relax without the guilty feeling that I have done no work today.

Not looking after my wellbeing

My last mistake during exam seasons at university is not looking after myself and my mental health in those periods. Exam seasons are hard on all students, so it is important to learn how to prioritise yourself so you do not burn out and can still perform well.

Part of this came from not fuelling myself properly in exam season. Having to cook for yourself during these periods can be annoying or feel like it is taking away from study time. I used to snack through exam periods mostly on chocolate and fuel myself with caffeine and Redbull energy drinks. However, this was not doing any good for me! I now make sure, in exam seasons, to bulk cook meals and freeze them, so I don’t have to worry about taking ages to make meals. I also make sure to get in snacks that will actually benefit me when I am studying and not just give me a little sugar rush. Hydration and balanced meals can do great for your concentration.

Along with this, I found that I would always put too much stress on myself in exam seasons and never take the time to look after myself. I needed to change that this year so I really made the effort to get out daily for a walk after being in the library all day and planned in nights were I would just chill or have a self-care night - it all really helped with managing my stress levels. Rest should be a key part of your revision and is so important to avoid burnout!

Final thoughts

For this upcoming exam season, I have started all my revision and assignments with plenty of time, allowing for equal time spent on each module, planning my time realistically, eating good meals and most importantly looking after myself! Everyone makes mistakes in exam season, and everyone also can feel the pressure too. Remember you are not alone in this and if you feel the exam season is getting to you, the University have wonderful Wellbeing and Academic Support teams to help!

Good luck with all your exams and assignments this year!

By Mia, a fourth year Marketing and Management student and Student Content Creator