Lifestyle | How I deal with exams

Exam's have begun, but fear not, here I am to prepare you...I am currently sitting my GCSE's at College. I was supposed to sit them last year but I was practically homeless for 6 months and then once we had found an apartment I was diagnosed with Gallstones after being in much pain for many months and had to under go many operations and procedures, x-rays and tests. This all led to me missing the majority of year ten and all of year eleven. Anyway, I am so lucky to have the chance to sit my exams this year at College. Personally, I think that College is a much nicer environment to study for and sit exams. Why? The people are more mature, a year really does make a difference! The teachers are more laid back and they're not just worrying about where the school will be placed on the league table once your results are back, at College they truly want to help you succeed.

I've been studying English, Photography, Sociology and Science GCSE's since September. Photography is a great GCSE option. It's pretty much like a B-TEC - it's all coursework based. You have to submit 1 coursework book full of ideas, photographs and research along with 4 main photographs taken by you at the end of the first half of the year (Jan) and then in April you submit another book full of ideas, photographs and research plus another 4 main images taken by you. No exam! Wooo! It's not plain sailing though. The two nights before everything needed to be handed in, I was up into the early hours of the morning - this is no joke! I survived on 4 hours sleep the following days.

Exams don't stress me out. Yeah, they're important but I don't think we need to stress over them as much as we do. It's pointless. Some people over revise and it drives them mad and into a panic frenzy the night before. CHILL. A booklet filled with questions isn't going to dictate the rest of your life to you. Revising is 'important' to some extent but don't over do it. I tend to just read over my notes the night before and then maybe in the morning - baring in mind I do keep up with homework and home study, after each lesson I come home, re-write my notes out in neat and then flick over them whenever I get bored, it's a good technique that doesn't require too much revising before the exams as the info has sunk into your mind over a long period of time.

Mollie's top tips to beat the exam blues

• Revise the night before, but don't over do it, you don't want baggy eyes (Unless they're Prada…).
• Get a decent amount of sleep, go to bed at 10pm or 11pm.
• Drink lots of water!
• Relax with a herbal tea the morning before.
• Don't drink energy drinks - you know what happened to Will in 'The Inbetweeners', that's a big no, no!
• Turn up prepared - pen, pencil, ruler, water, calculator (if needed).
• The exam hall isn't at all scary, it's just a room, that's all it is.
• Listen to your favourite music the night before or watch your favourite movie!
• After you've had an exam, go and have a coffee, read your favourite magazine - Tatler of course, also, make mine a Skinny Latte with one shot of espresso!

I hope this little article helps you feel a little more relaxed about the exam period. It's really nothing to stress about. If you don't get the grade you want, you can always re-take them. It really isn't the end of the world. What's meant to happen, happens for a reason. Turn up prepared, make sure you read over your notes and stay calm. It's NOTHING to worry about!

Good luck with your exams, I hope you get the grades you desire - if not, you've got your whole life to try and try again!