Study space: Clean your desk enough that you can actually put a notebook on it. It doesn’t need to be Pinterest-worthy, just functional.

Notes: Go through your notes, classwork and homework once. You already know there are topics you skipped or missed. Find them before the exam does.

Your syllabus: You must have the syllabus. Just print it or screenshot it. Paste it where you can easily see it.

Your phone: Decide where your phone goes during study time — another room, face down in a drawer or with your mum. Just decide before you sit down, so you’re not negotiating with yourself every time you hear a notification tone.

Your schedule: Not a colour-coded masterpiece. You can write it roughly, just to have an idea of what you’re covering today, tomorrow and the day after.

Water and food: Always eat before you sit down to study. Hunger is the best excuse to get up and never come back.

The night before the exam

First of all, stop opening new topics. That ship has sailed. Tonight is not the night to learn something new. Your brain won’t hold it anyway.

Bag: Pack it tonight. Put in all your stationery items: pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, a calculator (if needed), admission slip and your ID. Do it now so that in the morning you are only having breakfast and nothing else.

Revise: Flip through what you already know. Not to learn, just to remind yourself. Light revision only. You’re warming up, not cramming.

Sleep: You need to take sleep seriously. Staying up till 3 am going through notes you’ve already studied does more damage than good. A sleepy head in an exam helps you with nothing.

Exam morning: Eat a healthy breakfast and give yourself enough time to get to your school or college without rushing. Rushing before an exam puts your brain in panic mode and, on exam day, you don’t need to panic, you just need to stay calm.

Exam hall: Always read every question carefully. Double-check that you are understanding it correctly. Take deep breaths and start with what you know.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 25th, 2026