The thought of facing any exam within the month, week, or even the next day, can send shivers down our spines. After all, no matter how prepared we are, we don't know what those papers will hold. Will there be questions that we learnt and can answer promptly or will the more bizzare ones be asked? Will they ask intricate details that even the most focused eyes miss? The truth is, we can never know as the future is an abyss that has yet to be traversed.
As a student, one can apply two key elements in their preparation for any examination, and no, these don't include your study material. These two pivots to success are - confidence and versatility.
First and foremost, one must learn to make up their minds to venture forth into any challenge given to them brimming with confidence, without looking back. If you have studied and given it your all, then what do you have to fear? Confidence will help you retain what you have learned better. Goodbye, black-outs!
In case you are a last-minute studies kind of person, then that is not a problem either! Even if you give it your all and try to imbibe every last bit of that syllabus of any subject in a single night, you can crack it. Your brain will retain what you have learned the night before with pleasure, as it is all fresh information! You just need to fix your mind-set to one fact - that you can do anything.
Coming to versatility, as a student, it is imperative to know how to answer instead of what to answer. Examiners (credibly sourced) always search for keywords and a plethora of other markers in answers to deem them correct. Framing an answer clearly and with the right words, even if you don't know the exact solution, can fetch you easy marks. Improvise, adapt and overcome, as Bear Grylls preaches.
These two tips, along with your hardwork, of course, can sail your boat through any examination you decide to take on. So keep focused and calm, because overthinking and panic will only bring you harm!