Preparation for the repeat exams: Tips from the Student Support Office

So you have a repeat or you need to clear an I-Grade. This is a very normal event and we want to see you succeed.
Below are a few quick tips and some advice from the Student Support Office: 

• Be thorough. Plan for the remaining weeks and stick to it! 
  Creating a schedule that is personal and customized according to your lifestyle (e.g. part-time work, hobbies, family commitments) can be really helpful. It will help you identify the time you have left to prepare and also gives you a sense of achievement when you stick to it! See here for support with creating a schedule!
   
• Avoid leaving things to the last minute! 
  We can all procrastinate from time to time. Often we can trick ourselves into believing we perform better under pressure or when time is critical. However, leaving this to last minute can cause us unneccessary stress and pressure. 
  See here to learn more about procrastination and to identify some simple solutions for  procrastinaton!
   
• Seek support if it is available!
  For Academic support, the Learning Centre's have lots of specific supports available for students repeating exams. See here
  UL Eist Student Counselling and Wellbeing service have lots of webinars available to watch here . The Managing Exam Stress Webinar has lots of exam tips and suggested exam self care tools.
   
• Pace yourself and take breaks! 
  Taking breaks is super important and can boost your memory and creativity, that is pretty awesome!
   
• Avoid comparing yourself to friends
  Every works in different ways, find what works best for you and focus on your own goals
   
• Focus on the positives!
  Avoid being overly self-critical and dwelling on what went wrong the first time you completed the module assessments. Give yourself a break.. Nobody is perfect so try not to beat yourself up over what happened in the past. You have an opportunity now to turn things around and to do the very best you can do! 

A students perspective.. 

If you have never sat a repeat exam before, the following piece written by a student gives an excellent insight into what to expect when repeating exams in a light hearted and honest manner! This article might remind you to keep things in perspective! Written in 2014, the article has lots of important nuggets of wisdom that still remain relevant today! Read here - Repeat Exams from a students perspective

Minding your wellbeing 

Repeating exams can be a stressful time. It is important that you are keeping healthy habits in check. 

• Healthy Eating: Quite often in times of stress we can turn to eating fatty or sugary foods/drinks particularly when we are studying long hours and our sense of routine is a little out of quilter! Its important certainly important to be kind to ourselves in times of stress and to treat ourselves. That being said, we need to try our best to eat a healthy and balanced diet and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Remember for our brains to function they need the best nutritional fuel! 
  Looking for ideas? Optimize your performance with food using the tips/ideas from Healthy UL
   
• Exercise: Make sure to get a little exercise in everyday if you can. Even a short 20-30 minute brisk walk in the morning before you begin your day or in the evening time to clear your head can be really beneficial. 
  Getting exercise will help improve anxiety, worry and your sleep. If you are near campus you could consider checking out the facilities in UL Sport