On the Day of the Exam

Undeadfred

I'm particularly anxious about this aspect of the Leaving. How do you prepare yourself for the actual day of the exam?

You've been working for the past two years and it all comes down to one exam. What happens if you're sick? What happens if you didn't sleep the night before? What happens if you're just having a bad day and can't think properly?

I think this is hugely important, especially in subjects like Maths and English when you have to be thinking well on the day.

I'm not really sure how to prep myself for the exam day. Should i drink a cup of coffee before the exam so the caffeine can help my think/increase my brain function? maybe i should just have tea? or nothing?!?

What're people's opinions on this?

spurious

I know it might seem hard, but do try to get a good night's sleep for at least a few days in advance. I think they've found that the drop in performance due to tiredness the second day following bad sleep rather than the day immediately following a bad night.

Have a good breakfast, but nothing stodgy that might make you start to get tired after a couple of hours. Similarly for lunch - salads and protein are better than a bag of chips.

If you're sick (as in doing the exam but vomiting) a note will be put on your paper for the examiner to bear it in mind. If you're sick (appendix or sudden hospitalisation) arrangements can be made for you to do the exams supervised in the hospital, so don't worry unnecessarily about that possibility.

Eurovisionmad

As Spurious said sleep is probably the most important, try also to act as if it's a normal day, get up as you normally would, have your normal breakfast, if you have coffee normally then have coffee like normal, I don't think it's the best idea to take up drinking coffee the morning before your exams!

Unfortunately though, excluding sickness as Spurious outlined above, if you're simply "not feeling it" that's your problem!

Nicole.

I had a bad day during my Irish oral, my dad went to work in Oz and I was really emotional but I pulled it together because I was determined to get the grades that I deserved. It's all about having control over your emotions, but don't let yourself become apathetic on exam day, a certain level of nerves are needed to make sure you do your best.

Having your stuff well prepared the night before, I mean pencils, rulers, calculators etc will do wonders for your sleep as you won't be freaking out. Eating well balanced meals will keep your health up, keep hydrated etc.

Having yourself well presented e.g. uniform clean and tidy will give you confidence.

I did my leaving cert last year. Some people might disagree with me but I made sure that I wasn't studying anything at least an hour before the exam. Even it I looked at the book for a little while before then it would just be flicking, getting the buzz words in my head to put me in the right mindset for the exam.

I feel that relaxing during the exams is key to success, if you've put the work in the last 2 years you have nothing to worry about. Nerves are normal and as long as you're not crazy worried they're good for you. Take a few deep breaths before you look inside the exam paper, reassure yourself that 'what ever is in this booklet has been prepared with me in some shape of form' and away you go.

The week or two before the LC make sure you're getting enough sleep.

Basically have a positive mental attitude and good luck.

Ravelleman

I wouldn´t change any aspect of my regular routine if I were you. Stick to what you do normally and don´t try to improve performance by changing something. On the subject of caffeine, if you don´t normally drink coffee then avoid it. Likewise with Red Bull and other energy drinks - they´re a recipe for disaster.

Ultimately it´s an exam like any other. You have to be confident with your preparation. That´s where the battle is won or lost. Make the last few weeks count.

I had a number of disasters before I did my LC in 2007 - home life, major illness in family, injury to my writing hand - but I was able to put that aside for a number of weeks and focus on the exams. Ultimately it was the solid preparation that got me through.

You´ll be nervous on the first day but as you knock off exams you´ll get into a routine.

leaveiton

Agree with everyone else, just look at it as a normal day, and keep your normal routine. Make sure you eat a good breakfast, something like porridge with fruit in it is perfect. Get into a good sleeping pattern in the weeks before, make sure you're drinking plenty of water, that kind of thing.

I'd also personally try to avoid the pre-exam panic. For all my exams I tried to go into school as late as I could so that I wouldn't have loads of people buzzing around me getting stressed, and in turn stressing me out. That might just be me though, I find I can't deal with other people in situations like that! :P

Undeadfred

I find that i think really well when i drink a cup of coffee before studying, but if i drink coffee everyday for a week or two, i get used to it and i dont feel it anymore and just start to turn into a coffee fiend.
Before my Christmas exams i wasn't drinking coffee but i wanted to try having a cup before each exam to see if it boosted my performance.
I had Maths on the first day of the Christmas exams. Since i wasn't drinking any coffee regularly, once i had the first cup on the day of maths i felt really good. I was thinking really well in the maths exam and felt real confident coming out of it. I ended up getting 100% in it!
The morning before my Spanish exam i decided not to have the cup of coffee and see how it turns out and i ended up doing really badly. Far worse than i usually do. I remember feeling really tired in the exam as well and I just didn't feel up to it.

So that kinda makes me think it can make a difference in a way. Like clearly it was bad what i did with Spanish but it was really good what i did with Maths

masseyf135

Hi I was just wondering if it is possible for me to get into the 400 points area despite the fact that my mocks were the worst exams I have ever done and that I only started studying at the start of this month?

mixery

If you're ready to work hard then anything is achieavable. Anyway, it's easier to bring yourself from 200 to 400 , than from 400 to say 550.

Leaving Cert Student

Undeadfred wrote: »

I find that i think really well when i drink a cup of coffee before studying, but if i drink coffee everyday for a week or two, i get used to it and i dont feel it anymore and just start to turn into a coffee fiend.
Before my Christmas exams i wasn't drinking coffee but i wanted to try having a cup before each exam to see if it boosted my performance.
I had Maths on the first day of the Christmas exams. Since i wasn't drinking any coffee regularly, once i had the first cup on the day of maths i felt really good. I was thinking really well in the maths exam and felt real confident coming out of it. I ended up getting 100% in it!
The morning before my Spanish exam i decided not to have the cup of coffee and see how it turns out and i ended up doing really badly. Far worse than i usually do. I remember feeling really tired in the exam as well and I just didn't feel up to it.

So that kinda makes me think it can make a difference in a way. Like clearly it was bad what i did with Spanish but it was really good what i did with Maths

Ya coffee has an active ingredient which teaches your sub conscious the various theorems and proofs on the maths course... just admit you studied your ass off lol

Elceeney

Please for the love of God do not drink coffee for the first time before your exam. You DO NOT want to be twitching/shaking/getting a headache. Some people cannot handle caffeine as well as others. Try drink some now, see how you react to it and if you like it.

LostBoy101

Elceeney wrote: »

Please for the love of God do not drink coffee for the first time before your exam. You DO NOT want to be twitching/shaking/getting a headache. Some people cannot handle caffeine as well as others. Try drink some now, see how you react to it and if you like it.

I agree coffee is a no go for the first time before an exam.

Absoluvely

Undeadfred wrote: »

Should i drink a cup of coffee before the exam so the caffeine can help my think/increase my brain function?

Prepare for an extra bathroom break if you have coffee.

I think the stress/anticipation will keep you alert enough without the coffee anyway though.

spurious

Caffeine if you're not used to it can have some rather unpleasant effects. All the more so in an exam room setting. Think Will in the Inbetweeners.

Best stick to as normal a routine as possible and not try any new drinks or potions.

Undeadfred

God its so daunting...

How do you even prepare yourself for such an important exam? There's so much on the line like

Undeadfred

I'm reviving this thread.

Today i was studying in school and things were going fine as always but i felt a bit tired so i decided to have a small cup of coffee. Afterwards, and throughout the day, i was thinking extremely well. Very clearly, very thoughtfully and objective. I felt powerful, like i could Ace any exam.

Now i feel that perhaps i should do this before all of my exams during the Leaving Cert to maximize my performance. I'm hestitant to do this though since there is such a bad stigma associated with coffee and I'm afraid to do anything out of the ordinary before any of my LC exams. I fear it could go badly.

Opinions? Anyone else feel similarly about anything?

LostBoy101

If you can handle coffee go for it but if you are not used to it I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

aimzLc2

Undeadfred wrote: »

I'm reviving this thread.

Today i was studying in school and things were going fine as always but i felt a bit tired so i decided to have a small cup of coffee. Afterwards, and throughout the day, i was thinking extremely well. Very clearly, very thoughtfully and objective. I felt powerful, like i could Ace any exam.

Now i feel that perhaps i should do this before all of my exams during the Leaving Cert to maximize my performance. I'm hestitant to do this though since there is such a bad stigma associated with coffee and I'm afraid to do anything out of the ordinary before any of my LC exams. I fear it could go badly.

Opinions? Anyone else feel similarly about anything?

Try have that small cup before the first exam , lets be realistic the worst thing that can go wrong is you will need the bathroom or it will have an opposite effect /make you tired or something but i doubt it , if it doesn't help the first day don't have it the rest of the exams if it is fine then do

Eurovisionmad

Undeadfred wrote: »

I'm reviving this thread.

Today i was studying in school and things were going fine as always but i felt a bit tired so i decided to have a small cup of coffee. Afterwards, and throughout the day, i was thinking extremely well. Very clearly, very thoughtfully and objective. I felt powerful, like i could Ace any exam.

Now i feel that perhaps i should do this before all of my exams during the Leaving Cert to maximize my performance. I'm hestitant to do this though since there is such a bad stigma associated with coffee and I'm afraid to do anything out of the ordinary before any of my LC exams. I fear it could go badly.

Opinions? Anyone else feel similarly about anything?

Test it out between now and then, after a week you should eventually have an idea how you react to it!

Undeadfred

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

Test it out between now and then, after a week you should eventually have an idea how you react to it!

I'm anxious about doing this because of dependence. After a week of drinking it I'll probably become used to caffeine and it will be as if i never started drinking it, except i will be more dehydrated, running to the bathroom more, lack of sleep etc.

Any effects i get from the occasional cup will diminish the more i drink it. So it kinda needs to be something i start to do the first day of the LC. I've a week long gap after maths so i can take a break from it then, leaving me to feel its full beneficial effects for Physics, Spanish, Music and Applied Maths.

I know I'm being a bit neurotic but this is the Leaving Cert after all. You want to do the best you can but you dont want to throw 2 years of work down the drain. I have felt quite tired before after having a cup of coffee. It could happen again

EoghanIRL

I just want to wish everyone luck in their exams. My advice don't over think think you will be fine. I can't believe it will be me next year. Good luck