My top tips for getting through the SOAS exam season

The exam season can be a difficult and anxious time. I want to share a few of my personal experiences of what has helped me during exam seasons - that I hope will help my fellow SOASians. 

Start with the basics to improve your physical and mental health

Keep a good routine. Daily routines shape the rhythms of my life and make me feel more energetic and efficient at a particular time of the day. Sleeping too late is not an excellent choice and will only tire me even if I try to get up later the following day.

Eat healthily. Keeping a brain-boosting diet makes my brain works more efficiently and happily. Our brain loves water for better chemical balance and a high protein diet for producing neurotransmitters, berries, nuts, seeds, etc.

Doing some exercise. Exercise always makes me feel happier naturally, not only because it brings me faster blood flow, a better daytime appetite, and better evening sleep but also as a perfect refresh after hours of study.

Talk with my close friends or family members. I will casually talk with my friends or family members when stressed or less efficient, as they are trustworthy, know my strengths, and sometimes offer insightful suggestions.

Practice mindfulness exercises. It’s a very effective way to help me manage stress, figure out the real challenges, and make me concentrate more on the tasks at hand.

Plan your days

Plan a longer time for retreat. Planning is the essential beginning of getting the exam tasks done. The longer review time means a higher potential of reaching the goals on time.

Reduce social activities. While it's vital to have breaks and it helps to stay social, it may be best to keep socialising short and regular - rather than for a long time which can be distracting. So that you can make sure you finish essays as early as possible so that the deadlines won't all be at once.

How to prepare before the exam

Review the key points again. I’ll familiarise myself with the knowledge again by reviewing the modules, checking the notes, and trying to draw a knowledge map to summarise the knowledge.

Check the past year’s exam papers on My SOAS System. The past year’s exam papers offer a perfect clue of what to prepare for the exam. Practice by a mock test, and then have an immediate review of the performance, and analyze what further actions need to be done.

Take regular small walks. My brain will work out to combine the knowledge during the short walks.

Listening vs reading. I will sometimes use the screen reading function if I am tired of reading, and it works even when the eye feels reluctant to read anymore.

What to do during the exam

Read the exam papers carefully. I will first check the marks of each question and keywords that need to be included in my answer and allocate the time I should spend on each part. 

Structure the answer. Keeping a good structure makes it easier for professors to easily understand my general idea and critical points, thus giving a better chance of higher scores.

Be more critical and balanced thinking. As an international student, I will keep reminding myself to read the questions carefully and critically, write with more balanced arguments, and express myself clearly.

I hope this blog helps give you some tips during this time and I wish everyone the best of luck during the exam season!