A-Level Physics Week 4 Exam Preparation Tips

Hello again and welcome back to another physics exam prep blog.

I hope you had a good week and enjoyed the long weekend. Last week we discussed understanding practice paper structure as well as time trials and a good mindset. This week will be introducing how we can get ourselves physically and mentally prepared for your upcoming A-level Physics, touching on how to manage stress, as well as putting things into perspective.

Sorting out some healthy habits

To perform your best it is firstly important to have a good schedule. Next week I will discuss daily routines in more detail but starting to think about what that might look like for you now will be helpful.

Being in top condition mentally and physically before a stressful exam period is vital. What are some good ways to effectively do this though?

Sleep – as I am sure you may be aware, your brain digests and sorts out everything that has happened during the day when you sleep. At this time of year for you, this crucially means putting revision into long term memory. This is partly why it is imperative to be sleeping well in the run-up to exams. Otherwise, all your hard work in the daytime may go to waste due to improper subconscious brain organisation at night. Needless to say, you will also be unable to perform your best if you are tired! A way to help prevent this is to set an alarm for when you need to go to bed, not just for when to wake up. If you can, switch devices off half an hour before going to bed too, or at the very least reduce the harmful blue light by putting night mode brightness on.

Eating well – I know I know, overconsuming junk when you’re stressed and super busy can be SO tempting. But eating well will keep your brain fed with the important nutrients it needs to sustain and succeed in the mentally straining activity that is Physics revision. Peanut butter (packed with protein) and apple (healthy fruit) is my favourite combo during revision season, I recommend you give it a try if you haven’t already 😊.

Drinking enough water! – this point speaks for itself. Just make sure you keep yourself hydrated. Did you know that dehydration has been proven to result in short term memory loss and cause people to have trouble with math computations! Not good for performing well in Physics at all, so try not to forget to get that precious H2O into ya body.

Rein in the caffeine – caffeine is an amazing thing in moderation. The reason its overconsumption is far from ideal is partly that it has a half-life of roughly 5 hours (so you still have lots in your system when going to bed) but it can also become rather addictive. Caffeine dependence during exams is inconvenient, to say the least. Imagine your energy levels have crashed halfway through an exam, well there is no way you can make a coffee or whip out a red bull then so you’ll have a big problem! Therefore it is best to try and only have a healthy amount of caffeine each day.

How to de-stress?

Deep breaths – cliché I know! But really… deep breathing can disrupt escalating stress by slowing your heart rate down while simultaneously getting more oxygen to your brain so you can think clearer and do better.

Exercise – in a similar way, this can distract you and get the blood pumping oxygen around your body better while also stimulating the release of happy hormones. Who doesn’t want happy hormones?! Especially when trying to fight off negative ones.

Some quick comic relief? – perhaps you just need a structured distraction to calm yourself down. If you feel like it works for you and has been earnt, then why not put on a comedy show you enjoy that will sort out your anxious mood. I used to love a 20 min episode of Brooklyn 99 if I needed a break that could take my mind somewhere else 😊

Exams in perspective

I understand how overwhelming A-levels can be, but remember it is not the be-all and end-all. Do your best and that is absolutely all you can do. It also can be helpful to think of exams as opportunities to demonstrate what you know instead of the things you do not know. Have trust in yourself to go in on exam day and show the examiner you know your stuff; it doesn’t matter if not everything is perfect. If there are questions that you do not understand or know how to answer, don’t worry, it is bound to happen! Just think about where they are looking to give you marks and put down everything you think might be relevant, including all your working out, like rearranging equations or the steps of a derivation even if incomplete. Last but not least, grades do not define you. Read that again and keep reminding yourself when you’re feeling bogged down and fearful.

Best of luck for the week ahead.

Have any questions about how to prepare for your A-Level exams? Having problems with any hard to understand content or tricky past exam questions? Then ask Imogen. Imogen will be hosting a series of Q&A webinars in the 2 weeks before final exams. Post your questions here, and Imogen will answer them in these sessions.