Being a student is never easy and one of the biggest challenges you’ll face in life will be your examinations. It can be very daunting, especially when your future is determined by the results you achieve.

Many students buckle when it comes to exam time and it comes as no surprise. There is a great deal of pressure applied by parents, teachers and peers to achieve the best results. It should come as no surprise that exam stress can be extremely detrimental to your health.

Well, let’s change that. Try these handy tips for tackling exam stress before it affects your performance.

Firstly, don’t rush through your exam. Take your time. Read each question carefully and make sure you understand what it means. A lot of students panic because of the amount of questions. But if you focus on one question at a time, you will find you will perform better and you will stress less.

Next, forget about everyone else. Don’t worry if you do better or worse than your classmate. We all perform at different levels. What matters is how well you do. Don’t fret about whether you’ve done as well as your mate. Nobody is perfect and the only thing that matters is you.

Another important thing you need to do is maintain a healthy lifestyle. Make sure you are eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep. Cramming all night is not going to do anyone any favours. Remember that episode of The Inbetweeners when they did that? Yeah, exactly.

That brings us to another point – make sure you have time for yourself. Just because you have a pending exam doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy life still. Always take time out for a fun activity you enjoy. It will allow your mind to reset and it will even improve your memory when you go back to study.

Lastly, when the exam is over and done with, let it go. It’s done. Don’t compare answers and worry about what you put for question 8. It can’t be changed now. Just embrace it and hope for the best.

If you need more guidance, Student Minds have additional tips for tackling exam stress will change how you perform and will make your next test a lot easier. Good luck!