The intrusive thoughts when leaving a task unfinished to focus on something else mean that you may experience anxiety. Getting a task done means peace of mind.
“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do.” – Benjamin Franklin
Talking to other students about the exam before the exam could confuse you or make you lose confidence in yourself. If you talk about it after, you may start to doubt yourself and stress out if you think you made a mistake.
Stick to what you already know when studying the night before an exam to avoid making yourself nervous trying to learn new information. Review your notes and test yourself on key points.
Henry David Thoreau said, “To make a deep mental path we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” Make a specific plan to change your mind for the better.
To take negative mental habits off autopilot, activate the thinking part of your brain to catch, challenge and override your negative thinking patterns.
Uncompleted tasks stay on your mind until you finish them. The key to productivity is working in focused periods of time, while avoiding multi-tasking and disruptions.
If you keep having thoughts or anxiety about an unfinished task, set aside time to complete it when you won’t be interrupted.
Check your exam timetable so you know when and where you’ll be sitting the exam. Make sure you have everything you’ll need to take with you – calculator, pencil, ruler, etc.
Your teacher can help you get copies of old exam papers, to help you know the structure and format. Practise answering the questions within the specified time limits and check your answers against your notes to make sure you’ve got them right.