Exam season is approaching and whether you’re taking your GCSEs, A-levels or something else, it can be a super stressful time.

It may seem tricky to find the perfect balance between revising and making sure you’re not overworking yourself, but there are some super simple and easy ways to beat the stress whilst also being productive and ensuring success. Here are our 5 top tips for surviving exam season:

1. Spread your revision out

Listen up, last-minute larrys. That feeling of panic just before the exam where you worry that you don’t know anything can be avoided by not letting the work pile up and giving yourself plenty of time to go over the material.

Everything seems much less stressful when you take it slow and gradually. Think about it – if you want to get somewhere that’s 10 metres away, it’s near enough impossible to leap there in one jump. However, if you take it one step at a time, suddenly the task seems a lot more achievable and you may even enjoy the journey.

2. Get your friends involved

Revision doesn’t have to be a chore. Getting your friends involved is a great way to not only make it fun but by quizzing each-other, you’re much more likely to retain information. Plus, there’s a good chance that your friend could be super knowledgeable on something that you struggle with (and vice versa) so you can teach and learn from each other.

3. Believe in yourself

“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t – you’re right.” Henry Ford shared that piece of wisdom with the world and it’s super relevant to preparing for exams. Having a positive attitude will do wonders for your productivity and give you that extra boost of energy to try your hardest.

Both faith and fear demand that you believe in something you cannot see, so why not choose to be optimistic?

4. Repeat positive affirmations

Positive affirmations are a great way to calm yourself and boost your self-confidence. Repeat empowering phrases to yourself each day and particularly just before the exam to get yourself in a great state of mind. Here are a few affirmations which work fab:

• “Exam answers come to me quickly and easily”
• “Day by day, I can learn to do anything I need to know”
• “I am capable of learning anything”

5. Give everything but up

When we find things particularly challenging, it’s very easy to want to give up and accept failure. But just because we don’t understand something now, doesn’t mean we never will. Often things take repetition and practice before we can fully grasp them and they ‘click’ inside our minds. Keep at it and you’ll soon get there!

Ultimately, all you can give is your best and if you keep a positive attitude, things will always work out. Exam season is just a tiny part of your life and although it’s important to your future, it doesn’t have to be something that’s stressed over. Follow our tips above and we know you’ll ace them all, anyway!

Have some tips of your own for beating stress and succeeding in exams? Let us know them @maximumpop