Freaking out about your essay exam? Photo: Alex Friesen
While the personal touch should always be present, regardless of subject, this ‘meta-exam syndrome style’ (which can be quite a MESS), is getting too involved in writing about surroundings, fears, and ultimately, inspiration. A nervous writer tends to document every step in great detail, from staring at blank page, to the spark of inspiration, to releasing inhibitions, which should remain unwritten.
MESS can even affect a student with a deep grasp of the material. The best way to calm exam day jitters and get an A on a paper is to remember that:
- Nerves come about because of the cramped or unfamiliar quarters of the exam site, coupled with newly-installed time constraints. Go to the exam site before the day of the exam
- Exams, and specifically essay exams, do not undergo the revision process of a regular essay, which has many drafts. Prewrite material in advance of the exam, and keep the ideas afloat.
- Though Bedingfield sings in Unwritten that “no one else can speak the words on your lips”, silence can often speak wonders. Instead of rambling, keep the answers short and simple.
Before even arriving at an exam and “staring at the blank page before you”, see the whole writing process through in mind, and attempt to make the first try (along with some background support), sing together in perfect harmony.
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