My name is Charlotte, I am a first year studying BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism at BU. I have just finished some of my exams and I wanted to share my experience and give some advice on handling the pressure of exams and the support available.

The first tip I found helpful was to set aside an hour in the evening to watch a TV show or a film to unwind. I found this super helpful as I was able to take my mind off the revision and enjoy my evening. This helped me form a routine as the show I watched would start at nine every night, so I made sure I had finished my revision for the day. This made my day much more productive as I had this to look forward to and took a break from the work.

While studying is a priority, it’s important to get out and get some fresh air. Going to the beach and getting away from any screens and revision materials helped me to become more motivated. Being so close to the beach is such a great opportunity to relax and take your mind off studying and the exam pressure. Being so close to a beach for me is what I love about life here at BU.

Visiting the library at the Lansdowne Campus helped me focus when studying for my exams too. Even going to the library for an hour was useful as I was able to get out of my room and have a quiet space to study. The great thing about the libraries here is that they are both open twenty-four hours so that you can study at all times of the day.

If you are to take on a tip from this blog, it should be one hundred per cent, at first, I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information I had. I created flashcards on specific information on a topic which I found difficult and broke this down. I then answered exam questions on the topic until I felt confident. I also used a whiteboard to write down information I would forget and read over this so it would stick in my brain.

I felt more relaxed approaching my exams by preparing ahead of time and ensuring I was taking breaks and wasn’t overworking myself. It was good to know that I could contact my lecturers for support and ask them for resources like exam practice questions.

If you are struggling with exam pressure, there are so many support services out there. I would recommend speaking to your personal tutor as they can help you a lot and best support you. If you are looking for support for exams, please visit these links to help you find the support you need.

If you have any exams coming up good luck and I hope you do well!

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