For most students, the exam phase is the most strenuous and stressful part of their studies. Many make a pilgrimage to the university libraries in the morning and only leave them late in the evening. Fun and leisure are neglected for many.
During this time, many people sit in front of their desks all day long for several weeks. So it’s no wonder that sooner or later you get tired, drained and stressed and lose motivation. So that this doesn’t happen to you and you are productive and motivated until the last exam, I am giving you 5 exam phase tips for the optimal daily routine during the preparation. At the end of the article I will show you how you can integrate these tips into your everyday learning and what a perfect learning day during the exam phase could look like! Of course, we at also want to contribute to the success of your next exam phase – more on that later. 🙂
1. Exam phase Tips: Actively determine your routine
Just like everyone else, a student can save a lot of willpower and discipline if you plan fixed routines and structures into your daily routine. It starts as soon as you get up. Because of this, it’s best if you get up at the same time every day.
Since in most cases you don’t have any courses during the exam phase, you can set a time that corresponds to your biorhythm and with which you feel comfortable. Also make sure that you go to bed at the same time if possible so that you have enough sleep to be able to concentrate optimally during the study time.
2. Plan your study day
Even if you already have a study plan for your exam preparation for your upcoming exams, it still makes sense to plan your day. Take a few minutes every morning to think about where you are currently preparing for the exam and what you want to do that day.
Think about what you can realistically accomplish that day so that by the end of the day you can feel like you’ve really accomplished something. Write down your findings in a to-do list or in a time management system so that you can check your implementation in the evening. At the end of each learning day, ask yourself these two questions: “What went well today?” and “What can I improve?”. You can take the insights from your reflection with you into the next day.
3. Study in fixed blocks of time during the exam phase
You should learn in sessions so that you can study productively and with concentration throughout the entire day during the exam phase. On the one hand, you need a certain amount of time to familiarize yourself with a topic, on the other hand, your ability to concentrate decreases over time. Because of this, you can maximize your efficiency by setting a fixed amount of time to work on one thing with full focus and no distractions. A block of time should ideally last between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on the task and personal preference.
In order to be productive during the day and stay motivated in the long term, you should not exceed a total of seven hours of pure learning time on a learning day. If you use the Pomodoro Technique, you can do up to 3 consecutive 25+5 minute blocks. Also make sure that you don’t let anything or anyone distract you during the learning blocks. Set your smartphone to flight mode. Let your roommates know that you don’t want to be disturbed if you’re studying at home. For the severe cases, there’s still noise canceling. 😉 You can find out what that could look like in the practical example at the end of the article!
4. Exam phase Tips: Pay attention to your energy level
In order to be able to perform for several hours in a day, you need a high energy level. For this reason, you should pay particular attention to supplying your body and brain with sufficient energy during the exam phase. It is particularly important for your ability to remember and think that you drink enough liquid. It is best to drink a large glass of water or tea as soon as you get up in the morning. Important: Always put something to drink at your desk.
In addition, with a balanced and healthy diet, you can ensure that you are supplied with energy throughout the day during the exam phase. Sufficient sleep and exercise also help you not to get tired and stay focused. To ensure that you are optimally supplied with oxygen, you should air your room regularly and spend at least 10 minutes in the fresh air every day.
5. Exam phase Tips: Take breaks and reward yourself
At least as important as the learning blocks are the times when you slow down and relax. On the one hand, you give your brain the opportunity to process and store the information you have absorbed. On the other hand, recovery phases are also important for your emotional serenity so that your stress level does not rise too much and you lose motivation. You should take a break of at least 10 minutes between the learning blocks and not deal with the learning content. For example, you can move, do a breathing exercise, or listen to music.
In addition, you should not do anything for the university after a certain time. Do at least one thing you enjoy every day. This can be sports, gaming or meeting up with your friends at the student bar of your choice. After each exam, reward yourself with something you think about beforehand, especially if you have several days between exams!
This is what the perfect day during the exam phase could look like for you
If you apply these 5 tips, your future study day could look something like this:
- Your alarm clock rings at 6:30 am. You get up immediately, air your shared room and drink a large glass of water. After getting your body going with a few push-ups, you get ready in the bathroom and listen to your favorite playlist.
- With a healthy and rich breakfast you start the day and are optimally supplied with energy until midday. You leave your dorm and drive to the university library.
- When planning your day, you realize that you wasted far too much time typing into the calculator yesterday and therefore want to focus more on the basic understanding of the tasks today.
- At 8:30 a.m. you start your first 90-minute block with a high degree of concentration and calculate two exercise sheets. After a 15-minute break, fill up with water and go out into the fresh air, you work through an old exam in the second 90-minute block.
- At 11:45 a.m. you take a lunch break with your fellow students and drive home again, since you will be alone in the shared flat in the afternoon and will therefore not be disturbed. At 1 p.m. you start another 90-minute block. You summarize three chapters of your script and repeat it immediately afterwards. After an afternoon snack and a relaxation exercise, you will complete three Pomodoro blocks at 3 p.m. to deepen and review content.
- After a short break, you go through your most important documents again in the last one-hour session. Ask yourself the two reflection questions. You studied for seven hours today, accomplished everything you set out to do and ended your learning day at 6 p.m.
- After a short sports session, you meet up with your fellow students for a relaxed dinner. At home you watch two more episodes of your favorite series and go to bed at 10:30 p.m. You were super productive today, did some sports and had a great evening with your friends.
Good luck with the conversion!
– your savior in the exam phase
You have now learned 5 helpful tips & tricks for the exam phase and know how to structure your day. How can support you now during the exam phase?
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About the author:
Fabian Bacherle is a coach, seminar leader and podcaster. Despite initial problems, he managed to successfully complete all the exams in his studies at the Technical University of Munich a semester before the standard period of study. Fabian now supports students in taking themselves and their studies to the next level. He shows you both in personal consultations als also in hism Podcast “Success in Studies”wie you can constantly achieve top performances in your studies without stress and time pressure.
You can also listen to the content of this article as a podcast episode by Fabian (episode 057).