However, these difficulties do not stay at school: studies at university or college bring even greater challenges. Of course, there are many and many strategies how to avoid sleepless nights before the exams – you just have to choose more structured and emotionally and physically healthier way of studying. And what is more, such studying methods are hundred times more beneficial for the student himself, and, of course, guarantee better exam results.

Third-year student Laura (name changed) is completely certain that you will not find a single student in the whole wide world who love taking tests or exams – no student whatsoever has a positive association with these two words. According to her, although exams are not always that complicated or extremely important for the final evaluation, all students without any exceptions do know what anxiety before the exam is. However, the girl admits that university studies for her cause less stress and anxiety than the final school years.

"At school, various assignments and homework are everyday things. Teachers put extreme pressure, even if your results are excellent – they always find something to criticize, even if it is such a minor thing as once in a while forgotten homework. In university no one takes your results personally. Lecturers simply take into account your effort, attendance and that is the end of the story," says Laura.

She thinks that in university everything is much clearer and simpler.

"It’s uncommon for a lecturer to put pressure on a student or attempt shaming someone. Even tests are taken or papers are presented usually once a semester, midterm exams are planned in advance, with all the necessary information provided on time. In university everything is clear and simple, while in school you have to be constantly ready for almost anything," concludes Laura.

However, not everything is immediately clear and straightforward after high school graduation. Students often complain about the monstrous load of information, complicated assignments, sometimes the pace of their studies is too rapid, timetable is inconvenient and studies in general do not match their expectations. It is true that many students not only study, but also work, so these young people deal with many responsibilities at one. According to Laura, sometimes lecturers refuse to considerate this.

"Unfortunately, not all lecturers are flexible enough and eager to help their students to succeed. Distance learning during the pandemic provided everyone with opportunity to participate, but now it is over. Nowadays, most students are working people, and in a city, it takes time to get to the university, especially if you have only one lecture or 1-3 hours gaps between them," explains Laura.

According to Laura, sometimes the attitude of certain lecturers is worrying.

"Some lecturers do not upload their lecture material to the university data base, and it is unfair that only those who attend lectures can, for example, get familiar with the slides. I think lecturers should be more supportive and understanding as the students, for the most part, miss lectures only for a good reason. They are trying to balance their studies, their work, often have other activities, so sometimes it is more convenient to study the lecture material at home," Laura thinks.

Student Gerda (name changed) agrees with Laura. According to her, although there were a lot more stressful days during school years, sometimes university also seems unbearably tough. Gerda recalls the pressure from school to perform better, it caused great stress, but there are things from school years she misses a lot.

"I think in school we felt somehow safer. I am not talking about physical safety; I am talking about emotions of young people. During school years, I always felt safe that I would not, so to say, go off the rails, because always knew what my goal was, and if I did forget it or somehow get lost, there were always teachers and parents to remind me what was the right thing to do. It is very important, especially during adolescence. It might have been a bit annoying, but now I miss this. When you are a student, you must take responsibility, realise that everything is in your hands but, unfortunately, you do not always clearly understand what is best for you," the girl admits.

According to Gerda, student life is a great stepping stone to the real world of adulthood.

"You have to understand that you are the only one who is responsible for how much you get from the studies. Lecturers do not really care whether the course load is manageable, whether you feel pressure, whether you have enough time to systemize all the information you have and, ultimately, where you will get it if miss a lecture no matter how good or justifiable your reasons are. This is how it works in a real life, and I am certainly not inclined to blame anyone for it. These are great lessons before entering the real world of adulthood. I have already understood and learned some things, and I believe there is a lot more ahead," Gerda explains.

According to the student, preparation for exams usually brings anxiety and tension.

"I guess I will not say anything new - for me exams and midterm tests cause a lot of stress. As I always tend to look for reasons and answers, I often wonder why these things provoke such intense emotions and how can I deal with them? However, I still have not found any magic formula and I can say for sure that all these emotions are often detrimental to study results," she admits.

Gerda thinks that lecturers themselves could offer some help, assist their students so anxiety and stress will not ruin preparations for exams and midterm tests.

"Of course, there are lecturers who clearly define what you need to know and why. In such cases I know for sure what the lecturer is expecting from me, what questions he or she may ask, thus I feel really calmer. I can avoid that harmful confusion, when the amount of information is so overwhelming that you feel lost, what is important and what is not so," Gerda explains.

If a student wants to achieve great results, he or she has to put in a lot of work. But people have different view what hard work means. Some students spend months diligently studying and studying, while others leave the preparation for the last night and still show good results. Laura is a perfect example of the latter. The student admits that she never studies in advance.

"I try to get all the material and prepare it before the start of an exam session. I feel calmer when I know that all the material I need is already there and all I have to do is analyse it. Then I plan when which subject, I am going to study. Usually, there are a few days gap between the exams, so I try to stick to my study plan accordingly: when one exam is done, I immediately start studying for the next one, because a few days for a subject for me is usually enough," the girl explains.

Sometimes, she says, the exam type itself serves as a hint how preparations should look like.

"If I know that an exam is going to be difficult or practical, I take that into account and do some preparations in advance. In such cases I never leave everything for the very last night because I want to feel at least partially confident," admits Laura.

The student has shared the method of organising information that she founds the most efficient when studying. In fact, Laura has been practising it since the high school.

"Whenever I have enough time, I try to either write down the summarized material by hand so that it is clear to me, mark the most important points with colourful pens, or do it on the computer. Neat, beautiful and freshly made notes with the most important points for the exam or test are my key to success," she shared.

Gerda agrees that paraphrasing information in her own words helps her memorize it better.

"I would not call it a secret to success, but I find it easiest to remember information when I paraphrase it in the way that best fits in my head. I never learn from the notes of my fellow students, because I think they may have a completely different perception of the information than I do," she explains.

One of the Gerda’s learning methods requires some special conditions.

"It’s very important for me to be able to study in an environment where I am completely alone. This is because very often, in order to remember information better, I read it out loud, repeat not in my head, but voice it up. My family find this funny sometimes, but I have to disappoint them - I do not think that this will change. After all, since early childhood, I was very fond of music, it may explain why sounds help me remember information better," she laughs.

Sometimes Gerda asks her family or friends to participate in the process of exam preparation.

"When preparing for tests or exams, I usually phrase questions based on the study material or, if possible, use the ones from students that have already taken this exam. The next thing to do is to find some kind of study buddy or simply involve my family to ask me questions. When I hear my mistakes, they help me find the right answers, also I pay attention to certain things and they do help me a lot," she says.

As Delfi reported previously, "Eat. Sleep. Explore. Repeat" are some of the most efficient tips for acing any exam session. Dear students, the exam session will inevitably arrive at your door. You will not even notice how quickly Christmas and winter holiday season will come and go: you will suddenly realise that only a few days are left for the first exam. To make your preparation easier and simpler, Delfi has previously shared some useful strategies from yourfuture.accaglobal.com. Do not leave everything for the last day – today is ideal to do something for your own peace of mind and better results.

In order to employ your learning strategy successfully, daily routine or, to put in other words, an agenda is of crucial importance. Many researches show that the most effective way to prepare for an exam is to divide the preparation into short blocks of time with frequent breaks. It is worth combining study time with other activities and to give yourself more variety. Also, experts advise setting yourself some achievable daily, weekly and monthly goals. They will make it easier to track your progress as the exam date approaches.

Be creative: use mind maps, Venn diagrams and topic trees. These strategies help to clearly outline the most important things you have to learn for the exam or test. What is more, they are helpful in visualising the topics and finding synergies between them.

It is essential to find yourself a space that suits your studying needs the best. Most people prefer quiet environment, whether it’s at home, at the library or in a small, cosy coffee place. Others tend to change their learning spaces constantly. Each person is different, so there is no universal solution. Simply, once you have found the right space, stay there as long as it works for you, and change immediately when it starts somehow bothering you.

4. Choosing right time for studying

Even if you are a full-time student and can afford studying all day, you still need to plan your preparation strategy. If studying is the main task of the day, it soon may become frustration or even torture, but you should bear in mind that it is temporary. So, try not to think about it too much. If you are a working student and/or have a family, studying for exams become much more complicated. Nevertheless, it is also very important to structure the process – include other activities, personal time, do breaks between studying.

One of the most successful and simple learning strategies is to prepare to answer as many possible exam questions as possible. It is very effective to look into previous tests and exams to prepare for the upcoming one. This will help you to study more thoroughly and focus on key points.

Making summaries is obviously one of the best ways to systemise information while studying, but students not always apply this strategy. Summarise study material and write it down in your own words by hand or in a computer. By paraphrasing information, it is easier to memorise and understand key points better.

It is always more efficient to study in groups. Such group studies before exams or tests not only make the process more effective, but also provide support, especially when difficulties arise. Studying together may help to increase motivation, rise team spirit and make breaks while studying more meaningful.

As it was stressed earlier, regular breaks throughout studying are essential for good results. Students should get adequate rest and get rid of guilt about taking time off. Healthy lifestyle and exercise must also be taken into consideration, and not only for maintaining physical health: scientists have proven that good health supports brain function, reduces stress and boosts self-confidence.

Good emotions are key to successful study results, thus considerable effort while preparing for exams should be rewarded. It is up to you, what reward suits you the best - whether it is a movie, a night out with friends, relaxing by the lake or the sea, shopping, etc. Any activity that brings you joy is just perfect. There is only one rule to follow – be honest with yourself and earn this.

With exams just around the corner, there is no time for any new theories or concepts, and probably it is simply too late. The best strategy would be to improve your short-term memory. It should help getting broader understanding and choosing the best exam strategy.

When taking an exam, answer the easy questions first. This strategy will help to boost confidence and will serve as a good start.

When answering questions, make sure you are answering what is asked. Do not give more information than it is actually needed. By doing that, you simply waste your precious time and mental energy.

Do not panic if you do not know how to answer a particular question – you may find the right answer later. Simply move to other questions you feel more confident to answer. Once you have already dealt with them, you can go back to the tricky ones.

However banal it may sound, do not forget to drink enough water, especially if you are nervous. Water is good for the brain. Dehydration can cause headache and dizziness, you may even faint.

Even if you completed the exam and still have some time, do not leave the room! Read the answers once again, check the spelling, grammar, think how to support your arguments. There is always something to be done before the exam officially ends.