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Pre-exam boost

Fist Fun

20:02 / 14.10.02

Anyone got any tips for the morning of an exam? Any little tricks to boost mental alertness? I've heard doing a very quick weights and cardio workout might be a good idea. Increases blood flow, etc.

Ok, this is probably a sign of last minute panic but come on share your ideas. Energy drink? Meditation? Visualisation?

that

20:28 / 14.10.02

Aromatherapy oils... not much use if your exam is tomorrow, unless you pass a health food shop on your way in. Can't remember which ones, but I'm sure somewhere online can fill in my blanks...

w1rebaby

20:32 / 14.10.02

Glocuse energy tabs in your pocket as you're going there, like the little Lucozade ones. If you get shaky and faint just beforehand, one of those will pop your blood sugar up quickly. Not ones with caffeine in them, though.

Saint Keggers

21:04 / 14.10.02

Supposedly listening to classical music improves your memory and reasoning skills for a short time afterwards.

grant

21:22 / 14.10.02

Cultivating a devil-may-care attitude seems to make me sharper. Dry humor is key.

ONLY NICE THINGS

21:50 / 14.10.02

I used to take chocolate-coated coffee beans minutes before the exam. I am not sure whether they improved the quality of my work, but they certainly added a certain sping to my opening essays.

Which often ended "So, if Herodotus had been Welsh, he and Geoffrey of Monmouth would probably have had sex. With their cocks".

It's a judgement call.

Kit-Cat Club

22:16 / 14.10.02

Agree with grant. Think of it as a game you are playing with the examiners.

I wouldn't do anything other than make sure you are wearing sober attire and have all your pencils with you. Caffeine/nicotine will just make you jittery, and too much adrenalin I suspect might do the same thing. You don't want to be keyed up, you want to be cool and rational.

woodswalker

23:49 / 14.10.02

Don't pee just before the exam. It's amazing how a struggling bladder aids the memory. Worked for me, I got all A's. Good luck.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

23:52 / 14.10.02

No good hints, really, other than this one, which may be a bad idea, but always helped ME in exams- and my driving test too. Go in there convinced you're gonna fail, but you wanna put the effort in to find out how this shit's done for next time, like this one's a dry run. It takes the pressure off you, but you still know as much stuff as you would if you were stressing about it.

The Strobe

23:53 / 14.10.02

To paraphrase the most wonderful Last Samurai, think of it not just as any game, but as chess: everything you do is aiming at the endgame, the conclusion. Everything beforehand sets that up, and the endgame has to be dynamite. Which means what comes before must be do. Set it up, deliver the blow.

Also: be as normal as possible beforehand; no late night cramming, no getting hyper. And have breakfast. The energy will make a lot of difference.

Fist Fun

10:20 / 15.10.02

Cheers for all the advice. Much appreciated. I particularly like the samurai exam technique from Paleface. Set it up, deliver the blow. Although I could imagine myself taking that a bit too literally and getting chucked out or something.

When I was doing my highers at school I used to blast out Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins. Not sure if it would have the same effect now. I reckon I will just go for a spot of light exercise in the pseudo-scientific hope that it gets everything flowing nicely.

12:20 / 15.10.02

Anecdotal evidence I've heard suggests that you can use strong smells or tastes as an aide memoire in exams. The idea being that while revising whatever it is you want to remember you eat a certain tasting thing, or smell something unique, when you're in the exam you can take a taste or smell of the same substance and jog your memory...

Mourne Kransky

12:48 / 15.10.02

Polo mints, several packets, good glucose rush and sucking gives you something to do when your head's stuck and won't work, temporarily.

And regular repetition of three deep cleansing breaths, to slow your pulse down and clear your head of the fog of fear.

I like iivix' idea though - room full of people eating, drinking, sniffing and spraying. The principle sounds fine but the practice might be challenging.

13:53 / 15.10.02

Plus of course if you've assigned yourself lavender for maths revision, and someone-else is spraying lavender around in aesthetics you're really screwed. Not as screwed, however, as having the theme tune to Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds going round and round in your head.

Fist Fun

20:35 / 15.10.02

Not as screwed, however, as having the theme tune to Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds going round and round in your head.

Iivix, you are truly evil. How could you implant such an idea in my mind at such a delicate time? I'm a samurai though set up, explode!!!..."One for one and..."...dang it...

Lea-side

22:17 / 15.10.02

damn your eyes! now i have "all for one and one for all......" stuck in my head!!!!!!!!!!

Dogtanian's relationship with the girl dog was almost Kafka-esque, frustation wise.

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