There are certain key tips to staying calm and focussed as D-day is approaching. The journey to school on the first day of the exams won’t be a pleasant experience for anyone. However, there are still tips and advice which will optimize your performance in the exam. Here is the list of essential things to do the day of the exam as well as the day before:

1.Get a good night’s sleep.

I can’t stress how important it is to get a good sleep the night before the exam. A minimum of 8 hours I would recommend. This will leave you feeling fresh and focussed the morning of the exams. The first day of the Junior Cert is a long one, five whole hours sitting, writing and possibly crying. Two English papers could require you to write 20-30 pages and you need your wits about you for this.  So a good night’s sleep is imperative.

2. Eat Breakfast

You will need a lot of brain power to work through any exam. This requires energy. Think of it would you play a football match without eating before? Probably not. Your brain needs food just like your muscles. You should eat a healthy, high carb breakfast such as weetabix, bran flakes, special K or porridge. Maybe throw in a piece of fruit as well.  Do not snack on sweets, crisps or something fatty from the deli. This will make you tired and burnt out during the exam.

3. Stay confident

Try not to play over potential bad situations in your head. Be confident in your hard work and preparation. This hard work will stay true to you in the exam and will help you glide through the papers. Hope for the best possible outcome and normally nothing not manageable will come up in any paper.

4. Don’t be worried about the other exams

Each day will bring a new set of exams. During that day there is no point in thinking about or worrying about the exams you had yesterday or the exams you will have tomorrow. Focus on what is at hand first.

5. Have your materials prepared.

Your pencil case, lunch, water, calculator, colours or anything else you need for the exam need to be packed in your bag the night before. Double and triple check you have everything needed in the exams especially things like rulers, pens, highlighters and calculators. This will streamline your morning and ensures your not running around trying to find your maths set at half 8 the day of the exam.

6. Don’t study too much the day before

This may seem obvious but so many students continue to cram the day before an exam. It is scientifically proven that this is actually a hinderance to your performance. You are just fooling yourself. Be confident in your work before the exams and don’t just leave it til the last minute. It will get you stressed and worried so be relaxed the night before the exam. Read our blog post on making a timetable to ensure you won’t have to study the night before.

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