Exam season can be a significant source of stress for university students. Fears often centre around performance, future prospects, and a feeling that the workload is overwhelming. However, no matter how isolated this makes you feel, it’s very important to understand that you’re not alone, and that many students will be feeling the exact same way.

Here are 10 useful tips and strategies that can help you to cope with your exam anxiety:

1. Understand Your Anxiety

The first and potentially most important step is to recognise your anxiety and stress. By acknowledging that your feelings are completely normal and will be shared by many of your fellow students, you might start to take the edge off. Anxiety and stress can manifest through both mental and physical symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms can include:

• Restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Inability to sleep
• Lack of appetite

There are other symptoms that may appear, as every person is different, and displays stress differently. Once you have identified these symptoms and worked out why they are appearing, you can take active measures to reduce their impact.

2. Stay Organised

Keeping your study materials organised can be very helpful if you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Planning your revision timetable in advance of your exams can be useful. One way of doing this is to break down your revision plans into manageable sections and set clear, achievable goals for each study session. This strategy can reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed and enhances your confidence as you tick off completed sections.

3. Active Learning

Engaging with your study material actively can help the information to get into your head better. Summarising information in your own words, creating mind maps, flashcards, using different coloured pens and teaching concepts to others can help to consolidate knowledge. Studies show that active learning can not only improve memory retention, but also reduces anxiety as it provides a sense of control over the content you are learning.

4. Practice Under Exam Conditions

Familiarising yourself with the format of the exam and practising under timed conditions can allow you to gauge your ability to manage the time effectively during your actual exam. This can reduce any surprise element and stress associated with this.

5. Healthy Lifestyle

You should never underestimate the power of a healthy lifestyle in managing stress, particularly around exam season. It might be easier said than done, but regular physical exercise can boost your mood and energy levels, and might even act as a natural anxiety reliever. Eating a balanced diet will keep you well energised, and avoiding excessive caffeine consumption can prevent nervousness and restlessness. Make sure that you get plenty of sleep, as fatigue can exacerbate stress and impair cognitive function.

6. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Mindfulness can be an excellent way to manage your stress and anxiety. It can look different to everybody, but mainly involves focusing on the present moment and accepting it. Techniques include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided imagery, all of which can help you remain calm and relaxed. You can explore mindfulness and other relaxation techniques via numerous free online resources, or through wellbeing services offered by most universities in the UK.

7. Reach Out for Support

Don’t hesitate to reach out to the people around you for any support you need. Sharing your worries with friends, family or university staff can provide a new perspective and make your challenges feel less daunting. Many universities also offer counselling services and mental health support, and some universities even have dedicated exam stress workshops.

8. Take Regular Breaks

Research suggests that taking breaks regularly during your revision sessions can improve your focus and productivity. A very common study method is the Pomodoro Technique, which involves blocks of 25 minutes of study sessions, separated by by 5 minute breaks, with a longer break after four ‘Pomodoros’.

9. Self-compassion

It is extremely important that you remember that your exam performance does not define your worth. You need to maintain perspective and keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes, and has their own strengths and weaknesses. Treat yourself kindly if things don’t go to plan, just as you would treat a friend.

10. Post-Exam Reflection

After you have completed an exam, take the time to reflect on what went well and the areas that you could improve in. This can not only feel cathartic, but can also set a positive precedent for future exams, and give you some goals for revision sessions. However, you should avoid obsessing what you could have done differently – once the exam is over, it’s out of your hands.

Dealing with exam stress at university involves a mix of practical study strategies, and proactive wellbeing practices. By taking the time to implement these tips and strategies, students can hopefully navigate the exam season with confidence. Always remember that exams are only one aspect of your university experience and, most importantly, your broader life journey.

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Choosing the correct university is a significant decision that can shape a student’s academic and professional future. To make this decision easier, open days have long been regarded as a good opportunity. Experiencing a university campus in person can make the decision making process much easier.

What is an Open Day?

An open day is an event organised by universities to allow prospective students to come to the campus and experience university life, degree programs, facilities and student support services.

Open days often include campus tours, subject specific talks, an overview of any relevant facilities, and a chance to meet current students and faculty members. These events offer a unique opportunity to get a feel for the campus environment and gain valuable insights that are harder to get from brochures or university websites.

The Rise of Virtual Open Days

In recent years, virtual open days have seen a huge surge in popularity. The advancements in technology have meant that universities can offer many of the on campus offerings online. Virtual open days allow prospective students to explore universities remotely from wherever they are located. They often also include interactive campus tours, webinars, live chats and virtual meetings with current students and faculty members. You may also have the chance to virtually mingle with other prospective students.

Benefits of Attending Open Days

• Campus Experience: open days give students the chance to step foot on campus, take a look at lecture halls, libraries and accommodation facilities. This allows you to gauge the atmosphere of the campus, and ensure it ticks all of your boxes.
• Subject Specific Information: you might be given the opportunity to take part in sessions or presentations that are tailored to your specific course interests, as well as speaking with lecturers and professors. This can give you a good overview of how courses are structured, what the curriculum covers, the assessment methods that are commonly used, and the potential career prospects from your chosen course.
• Student Support Services: as well as looking at the campus and academic side of university life, it is also important to ensure that they will be able to meet your personal needs. Most universities have a wide range of support services, including academic advising, counselling sessions, career guidance, and extracurricular activities. If you arrive at university with knowledge of the support available, you will be better equipped to take advantage of it, if and when you require it.
• Meet Current Students: communicating with current students provides valuable insights into university life. You should take this opportunity to ask about their experiences, the clubs and societies they are a part of, accommodation options, and the social scene.

Key Questions to Ask

When attending an open day, it is important that you feel confident to ask questions that will help you to further understand if the university would be the right choice for you. Here are some of the most common questions to consider:

Course Specific

• What modules are available on my course?
• Are there any opportunities for work placements?
• How big will the class sizes be?
• Which lecturers or professors will I be in contact with most of the time?

Assessment Methods

• How are courses assessed?
• Are there exams, coursework, or a combination of both?
• What opportunities are there to ensure my grades are good i.e. study seminars?

Career Opportunities

• What careers do graduates from this course typically pursue?
• Are there any notable alumni in my field of interest?
• What is the rate of employability from this course and university?

Student Support

• What academic and personal support services are available?
• Will I have a dedicated tutor or academic advisor?
• Can the university cater to my specific needs (where applicable)?

Accommodation

• What types of accommodation are there?
• How much does the accommodation cost?
• What are the options available to students after the first year?

Facilities

• Can I see the library, laboratories or sports facilities?
• Are there any specific resources or facilities relevant to my course?
• Will I be able to use the facilities for my coursework?

International Opportunities

• Are there study abroad opportunities, such as a year abroad or erasmus partnerships?
• What support is available to me if I take a year abroad?
• How much does a year abroad or an exchange partnership cost?

Attending open days, whether they are on campus or virtual, can be a crucial step in the decision making process for students. You can get a better insight into the campus experience, academic offerings, and support services, and take the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. This gives you the chance to make a well informed decision about your higher education journey and ensure that the university you choose is the correct one for you.

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If you are an A level student, you will be aware of the clearing process. However, the whole exercise of applying to university can be overwhelming, so you might have some questions about clearing.

Students won’t necessarily be planning to use clearing ahead of time, as it tends to be a process that you undertake if you don’t meet your requirements, or have missed certain deadlines. This format of applying, with a shorter deadline and potentially fewer choices, can feel particularly stressful.

What is clearing?

Clearing is the process that universities use to allow students entry into undergraduate courses that they still have spaces on. These spaces can be for students who missed deadlines, didn’t get the grades that were required, have changed their mind about their course or university, or another relevant reason. If you achieve the grades required and are happy to accept your first or insurance university choices, you will not need to go through clearing.

READ MORE: Firm and Insurance University Choices

Clearing is normally run through UCAS, and this is where you will find any relevant information. If you do not want to go through UCAS, or are applying as a mature student, some universities also offer clearing places outside of UCAS. You can contact the university directly for this, they will probably provide information about this on their website.

When does clearing open and close?

The dates for clearing change each year, but in 2023 clearing will open on the 5th of July, and will close on the 17th of October.

If you think you might want to go through clearing, or are unsure about whether you will meet your entry requirements, you can find out about the relevant clearing dates either through your college or sixth form, or on the UCAS website.

How does clearing work?

Once the start date for clearing has arrived, you can use UCAS to search for an explore the courses offered by different universities in the subject areas you are interested in. Once you have decided which courses you are interested in applying for, your next step is to start contacting the universities that offer those courses.

The universities will be well prepared for clearing, and will likely have admissions officers that are specifically dealing with applications through clearing. These officers will speak to you about the entry requirements, and will be able to provide you with more information about their course. Unless otherwise stated, all official clearing communication should be done over the phone.

If you decide that you would like to apply to this course through clearing, you then need to add it to your application. This applies whether you are applying on results day or not. You will need to provide some information that the university gave to you when you spoke to them. You can only add one clearing choice at a time, so if you are accepted into your first clearing choice, this is the only clearing choice you will get. If you do not get accepted or confirmed by your first clearing choice, you will be able to add another choice.

READ MORE: Applying to University from a Disadvantaged Background

Who can apply during clearing?

Clearing is open to any undergraduate student who meet one of the following criteria points:

• You did not apply before 30th of June
• You didn’t receive any offers from the universities you applied to
• You weren’t able to meet the requirements for your conditional offers
• You decline your firm and insurance choice universities through UCAS
• You have either already paid £27 for the multiple choice application, or you pay an extra £4.50 if you originally used the single choice application.

Whilst the premise of clearing might seem daunting and something you want to avoid, the reality is that it’s not that scary or difficult. If you end up in a position where you need to go through clearing, take your time and do your research; you never know, you might end up having a great time at a university you go to though clearing!

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Heading off to university is an incredibly exciting prospect, but an important part of the process is packing up the items you want to take with you. This can feel overwhelming, and might even cause you to feel anxious or nervous about going away to university, especially if you are moving far away, or it is your first time spending time away from home.

Taking the time to prepare and work out what you do and don’t want to take with you to university will make the packing and moving much easier, and will give you time to focus on spending time with your family and friends, as well as getting to know your new surroundings when you do arrive.

What do I need?

There are many things that you will need to take with you when you move to university. The sheer volume of items can feel formidable, and might make you hesitant to start the packing process. Beginning by writing a list can be really useful, because it means that you don’t have to remember everything, and can continue to add things as you go.

It can also be helpful to break down the items you need to take into the different rooms you will be living in. If you are living in halls of residence, plenty of the basic items will be provided for you, and some universities even offer packages for students to buy that include bedding, towels, and kitchen supplies. If you are moving into privately rented student accommodation, it is likely that your furniture will be provided, but you may need to bring more items. It is important to check this when you are signing your tenancy agreement, so that you know what to bring.

Below is a breakdown of the rooms you should think about, and an example of items you might want to add to your list.

READ MORE: Applying for Student Accommodation

Bedroom

Most accommodation, whether it is halls of residence or privately rented, will provide most of the bedroom furniture, such as a bed, a desk, desk chair, wardrobe and chest of drawers. You may wish to bring additional furniture pieces, like a bedside table, but remember that your room might be a modest size, and you don’t want to overcrowd it with unnecessary items.

The most important things you should think about bringing are:

• Bedding – duvet, pillow, mattress protector, fitted sheets, duvet cover and pillow cases. You may also want to bring a mattress topper to make your mattress more comfortable, as well as at least one spare set of bedding, so that you don’t have to worry about getting bedding clean and dry in a short amount of time.
• Coat hangers – there probably won’t be any coat hangers provided in your wardrobe, so it would be useful to bring some with you. Your wardrobe space at university might not be as big as at home, so keep that in mind.
• Extension lead – this will be useful if you want to plug several things in in various places, as sockets might not be in the most convenient places in your room.
• Stationery – pens, pencils, notebooks, highlighters, ruler, scissors, stapler, and anything else you might require for your specific course.
• Electronics – laptop and charger, mobile phone and charger, headphones, USB stick, and any other items you might need for your course. You may also want to bring an extra reading lamp and desk fan.
• Medicine – this can include basic medicines like paracetamol and ibuprofen, as well as any specific medication you require. If your medication needs to be stored in a specific way, it is advisable that you discuss this with your university, as arrangements can be made for you.
• Washing detergent and cleaning products – most universities have washing machines in their halls of residence, either in each flat or in communal laundry rooms. It is advisable that you take your own washing detergent, as well as the facilities to dry any laundry that can’t go in a dryer. There are various useful concertina style clothes horses that can be stored easily in small spaces. You should also take some basic cleaning products for the areas of your residence that aren’t going to be cleaned by university cleaners.
• Important contacts – take a list of contact numbers with you, as a just in case. This will allow you to contact your family and friends if you have lost your phone, for example.
• Important paperwork – it is advisable to take some important paperwork that will make your life at university easier. These include your university acceptance letter, any information about your accommodation, student finance documents, a valid ID (such as a passport or driving licence), a document that has your address on so you can register with a GP, copies of any prescriptions you require.

READ MORE: City vs. Campus Universities

Bathroom

Whether you are sharing bathroom facilities or have your own bathroom at university, you will need to think about the toiletries you want to take with you. If you are sharing, you may wish to keep your toiletries in your room, at which point a caddy or something to carry your things to and from the bathroom.

Toiletries you should think about taking:

• Shampoo and conditioner
• Toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash
• Body wash or shower gel
• Shaving razor and shaving cream
• Deodorant or antiperspirant
• Face wash and moisturiser
• Tampons, sanitary pads, any other period products
• Baby wipes

Kitchen

Most halls of residences provide a lot of the basic kitchen supplies you will need, so you most likely won’t need to take a fridge, toaster, kettle or microwave. Some halls have rules on appliances you aren’t allowed, such as rice cookers or deep fat fryers.

Space in your kitchen is likely to be minimal, as it will be shared with your flatmates. It is most common that each student gets a set of cupboards, or a certain area of the kitchen. Things you might want to take include:

• Crockery – plates and bowls that can go in the microwave are a good idea. You don’t need to take many, and it can be a good idea to scour charity shops for cheap options, as it’s not advisable to take your best china to university.
• Cutlery – take a couple of rounds of cutlery, and accept that various pieces may go missing, or you may end up with a mix and match of your flatmates cutlery.
• Mugs and glasses – same rule applies as the crockery, checking out charity shops or taking old glasses or mugs from home is a good idea.
• Cooking utensils – knives, a chopping board (maybe two if you plan to cook with raw meat), a small set of pans, baking tray, bottle opener, tin opener, vegetable peeler, cheese grater, measuring jug.
• Other useful items – cling film (or an eco alternative like bees wrap), tin foil, tea towels, tupperware, dish clothes and bin bags.

What don’t I need?

As previously mentioned, most universities and private landlords will provide the big furniture items, so you won’t need to think about those. Here are some common items that students consider taking, but might not need:

• Printer – unless you specifically need one, it is advisable to make use of the printers at your university.
• Suitcases – unless your parents are able to take them home once you have been dropped off, storing large suitcases can be cumbersome and difficult if you are dealing with a smaller space.
• Old study materials – it is unlikely that you will need physical copies of your previous academic work. If you think some of it might come in useful, take photos or scan it and store it online in an accessible place, such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

Once you have created your list, you can start to organise and collect the things you need, and tick off the items you have packed. Remember that things can be added as you go, and bear in mind that anything you forget can likely be purchased when you arrive, either from a shop or online. Taking your time and planning can make the packing and moving process much less stressful, so make a start as early as possible.

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Many universities like the opportunity to meet the prospective students before sending out conditional or unconditional offers. Attending an interview not only allows university staff to compare candidates, but it also gives you the chance to showcase your skills, knowledge and passion in person, and transcend your personal statement.

As a young adult, you might not have attended many interviews, which could make this a daunting prospect. However, taking the time to prepare yourself and understand the interview process can make you feel more confident going into your interview.

How will I know if I have been invited for an interview?

There are a couple of ways that universities get in touch with prospective students to invite them for an interview. One of these is through the UCAS Hub. You will be able to see any relevant information through your account on UCAS. When viewing your interview invite, you should see options to accept or decline your interview, as well as requesting to change the time or date of your interview.

Another way some universities choose to contact interview candidates is through email. If a university contacts you directly, they will provide you with all of the information you would require. You can usually use this email to get in touch with the university if you have any questions prior to your interview.

Virtual interviews

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many universities have started offering online interviews to prospective students. If you are invited for a virtual interview, you should ensure that you have access to a laptop or computer with a webcam and microphone, a strong WiFi connection, and have installed the video conferencing platform that you will be using.

The university that has invited you for an interview will let you know ahead of time any requirements for your meeting. These will include timings, the platform you will use, as well as the format for the meeting.

How should I prepare?

There are few things you can do to prepare for your interview. Taking the time to get things together ahead of the day can help you feel more comfortable when the day does arrive. Here are some tips about things you can do ahead of time:

• Find out where the interview will take place – using Google maps is a good way to scope out the general area. Many universities also provide a campus map on their website, and some even have virtual campus tours, which could also be useful.
• Sort out your travel and accommodation – if you are travelling a long distance or need to stay overnight, it is a good idea to arrange this in good time. Not only will you feel more comfortable, but you might also be able to save some money by booking things in advance.
• Ensure your laptop or computer is setup – if your interview is going to be held online, checking that your software is up to date and your computer is working correctly ahead of the interview day is helpful. This gives you time to fix any issues that might arise, and could make the day less stressful for you.
• Research your course and university – having a good understanding of the course you have applied for, as well as the university itself, will help you to answer any questions you may be asked about why you chose the course, or what you like about the university.
• Think about any questions you have – making some notes about specific things you want to speak about, or questions you may wish to ask can allow you to focus entirely on having a good conversation with the interviewer. It also means that you will remember to ask all of the questions that are important to you.

What should I wear?

Whilst you are not being judged on your appearance or your fashion choices, it is important that you are dressed appropriately and comfortably for your interview. This can mean different things to different people, and will also differ depending on the course you have applied for.

The easiest way to look presentable is to wear a pair of smart trousers or a skirt, and pair these with a shirt or blouse. Any clothes you wear need to be comfortable, and it can be useful to also show a little bit of your personality too, so don’t focus too much on only being dressed appropriately.

If your course involves an audition or physical activity, you will need to ensure that you wear something that is comfortable and easy to move around in, as well as still being appropriate.

If there any specific requirements about clothing for your interview or audition, your university will inform you of this in their correspondence ahead of the day.

What should I bring with me to the interview?

What you should bring with you will depend on your interview. If you have applied for a creative, arts, or design course, you may be required to present a portfolio of your previous work in your interview. If you are applying for a music course, you might need to take your instrument or some printed music sheets, and if you are applying for a dance or movement course, you may need to take a previously prepared music to accompany your audition.

If there are no specific requirements such as the above, it is recommended that you take a notepad and pen with you. This will allow you to have any pre-prepared information and questions, as well as make any notes on the day.

Can I ask questions at my interview?

Most interviewers will encourage you to ask questions, either during or after the interview. Whilst you might prefer to prepare these questions ahead of your interview, it is also okay to ask any questions that have come up during your visit or virtual meeting. Speaking to a teacher or careers counsellor at your sixth form or college can give you some ideas about what you might want to ask.

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