Mental block leaves the mind blank such that you cannot answer any question. Ideas you seemed to understand clearly in the past will also evaporate. It takes away your creativity, resulting in mundane discussions yet you are expected to produce the best answers for your paper.
Mental block affects even the brightest students in class. It will result in poor grades that could compromise your career prospects. It may happen during your favorite subject or a subject you are disinterested in.
Can you overcome mental block during exams? According to experts, you avoid it long before the exam begins as well as during the actual exam. Get some custom thesis writing service and take away the pressure that comes with exams and academic work.
Here are tips to help you overcome mental-block during an exam.
- Prepare adequately
The best trick to handling an exam successfully is to prepare. Attend classes from the beginning to get an idea of what you should learn in a particular course. The explanations and examples given in class are easier to understand.
Attending classes is the easiest way to ace an exam. The examples and explanations given are easier to understand. You can also ask questions whenever you do not understand. The teacher is willing to help through examples and samples. Using the examples learned in class, you can compare the methods or formulas used by the authors of other books you may use in your studies.
Prepare flashcards to help you during your studies. They are memorable and will enable you to cover all the topics. Identity difficult topics and spend more time in revision. Discuss your challenges with peers and teachers. Check the internet for new ideas on the concept you are trying to learn.
A confident student will easily tackle any exam. You avoid anxiety during the exam, one of the main causes of mental block. Once you are fully prepared, you can handle any question posed by your teacher in an exam.
- Relax before the exam
Avoid a lot of pressure and tension during the exam. Do not revise or study up to the last minute. Find a few days or hours to relax before you sit for the exam. Rest allows the mind to relax and, therefore, be in a better position to face the exam.
Exercise is an excellent way to relax the body and mind. It pushes blood and nutrients to all parts of your body. Once they are replenished, you can handle even the toughest exam.
Get enough sleep before the exam. Mental and physical fatigue is responsible for the block. You cannot use your mind optimally because it is fatigued. It will also affect the creativity of the ideas you give in your answers. Start your revision early so that you do not rush at the last minute to cover unfinished work.
- Start with the questions you understand
What is your exam strategy? Find the most practical way to handle each paper. Some students begin with the easiest questions while others choose the most difficult. Experts advise you to start with the easiest questions in the exam paper.
The easy questions give you confidence that you can ace the paper. You also make progress instead of being stuck on one question that you cannot complete. In the course of answering the easy questions, the subconscious mind will be looking for answers to the apparent-difficult questions.
The easy questions are faster to complete. You complete more questions at the beginning instead of losing all your time on questions you cannot crack. By making progress, you are motivated to also work on the difficult questions.
- Sit through mock exams
Mock exams give you an idea of what to expect in the ultimate paper. Look for past papers and attempt similar questions. You build your confidence to handle any question that would come in the exam.
Mock exams also teach you how to handle different exam situations. For instance, you will estimate the average time it takes to complete a similar paper. Once you encounter such a paper in the future, you will have developed a strategy to handle it. Mock exams also test your performance under pressure. You identify anxiety spots and can take necessary actions.
- Understand don’t cram
Cramming is one of the main causes of mental block. The ideas you do not understand will be difficult to remember during an exam. Endeavor to understand the concepts you learn instead of memorizing and cramming. Since you understand a concept, you can apply it from different perspectives based on the expectations of the examiner.
Exam blocks will affect your grades when not addressed. Develop a practical personal strategy to handle exams and you will easily hack any paper. The best strategy of all is to master the content you are expected to learn in class because it forms the bulk of any exam.