1. Estimate the time left and the things to do
You are now running out of time before the exam session. You will probably find it easier to focus on the essentials and get away from distractions. Try to set a goal of being ready∙e few days before the session starts to give yourself a few days of rest. These days may also serve as a safety valve to fill in any gaps or last-minute contingencies.
With this goal in mind, list all the things you still need to do and, most importantly, estimate how much time each of these tasks will take you. These activities (listing and evaluating) are quite complex but they will allow you to identify priorities and leave aside what is less crucial.
2. Go to the last lessons
The or at least the last lecture is often devoted to students∙e∙s questions. It is important to have reviewed your lecture before this recap and prepare questions on points that are not clear. Pay attention to the questions of your colleagues and above all, try to answer them. This is a good test to see if you have mastered the material. More generally, pay attention to all the clues that professors∙e∙s give you, for example when they repeat the same information several times, when they stipulate that such and such a topic could be the subject of an exam question, when they pause to let you write, or when they draw your attention to a concept or part of the course.
3. Sleep, rest, relax, eat
Do not underestimate the importance of taking breaks until the day of the exam. An exam is tiring. You must therefore be alert and not tire your body and your memory unnecessarily, in order to keep as much energy as possible for the exam. We advise you to keep your nights intact and, if possible, to get eight hours of sleep. If you can't sleep, get up and read something simple, and if possible relax in a quiet, cool place. Avoid revising to pass the time at all costs, as this will stress you out and make you tired. Avoid television and computer screens, the light they emit does not help you fall asleep, on the contrary, it excites you!
During your day, take regular breaks, especially if you are memorising, a highly tiring cognitive activity. Don't forget, a real break of at least an hour at midday will allow you to regain your strength for the end of the day.
4. Avoiding brainwashing
If you want to "take care of your memory", only feed it small amounts at a time and regularly. This means that ingesting too much information in a short period of time does not allow you to assimilate the information and, above all, it prevents you from mobilising so-called "deep" (and therefore effective) learning strategies. You just skim over the material without consolidating it. To fix the information in your long-term memory, you need to go over the material several times, if possible at different times, varying the angles of attack. At the last minute, there is no time to consolidate the information and there is a high risk that you will forget things or get confused on the day of the exam.
5. Reviewing the whole thing
We know that you will find it difficult to rest in the last few days before the exams and that you will tend to revise until the last minute (although this is not advisable!). If you want to get back into your coursework the day before or on the day of the exam, try to take a holistic approach. Go over the whole thing, the outline and/or the overall structure. This is also a good time to do a concept map (or mind map) to summarise all the information and make links between it.
6. Test yourself
Take time during your revision to test yourself. On the day of the exam, it is too late to see that you have gaps. You can create revision groups where everyone∙e is quizzed∙e on one part of the course. Try to really answer questions, either orally or in writing, to really identify the gaps (if you have any). This way you can fill them in before the exam session starts. You can also try to answer one or two questions in writing, in the same format as what is expected in the exam. This will also give you practice in writing an answer, if necessary. Having good ideas and mastering an answer is good, knowing how to organise your ideas in order to show the teacher∙e∙s that you have the answer is better! Writing can play tricks on you, which is why it is advisable to practice in advance. For an oral exam, practice delivering an answer to a∙e interlocutor. For an MCQ, practice as much as possible to answer the questions without losing time.
7. Redoing old tests and exercises
If possible, try to get some sample questions related to the course to test yourself in the most realistic way. Put yourself in the conditions of the exam and test your knowledge on concrete examples. Do this task without the theory in front of you so that you don't confuse "I know, I have memorised" with "I can read the answer in the course" or "I know the exercise by heart". About the exercises: vary them as much as possible so that you don't learn them without noticing. This will test your reasoning, not your ability to memorise a sequence or an answer.
8. Anticipate the content of the exam
Try to imagine the questions you might be asked. They are bound to be about the course and are not designed to annoy you. So identify the important parts and topics. Once you have done this, try to formulate questions as if you were in the professor's∙e shoes. Be careful: don't go too far!
9. Calculating your time during the exam
One of the classic pitfalls during an exam is the lack of time. To avoid this pitfall, before starting the exam, go through all the questions (except for a MCQ) and calculate the time you have for each one (according to their length and complexity - or the points awarded). Look at your watch regularly to make sure you don't run out of time, and leave time for each question and a final proofreading. For an MCQ, you only have a short time for each question. If you don't know, move on to the next question and come back to the problematic ones later, the aim being to gain as many points as possible and not miss any question for which you know the answer.
10. Don't redo the exam indefinitely: what is done is behind you
It is very common to have a negative impression after an exam, to doubt yourself. Unfortunately, the exam is behind you and you cannot change anything. So move on to the next one, remembering that impressions are often negative but not always indicative of reality. Don't lose your concentration and focus on the rest of the session by telling yourself that your preparation was good and that you will succeed. Positive thinking can be a good ally during this tough time!