It’s officially that time of the year again: testing season. This year is particularly unique for IB students because it is the first time in two years that we will be taking actual IB exams. I’m sure we are all feeling a little anxious and unprepared, but my goal is to share some advice about test-taking strategies and study tips to help make the final stretch until summer more bearable.
Personally, it is extremely easy for me to get anxious and stressed before my AP and IB exams. Studying is the worst activity I could think of doing when summer is so close. I personally find study groups to be a fun and efficient way to take some of the tension away while still managing to be productive. Just make sure you find a group of people with your best interest in mind: don’t hang out with anyone who will distract you from revising. Also- do not be discouraged from taking breaks! Obviously it can be counterproductive if your breaks are longer than your actual study time, but short breaks every once in a while are good for the brain! To avoid the excessive stress of studying an entire course worth of material, I would suggest setting up a study plan to divide the workload evenly over the course of a few days or weeks. This works especially well if you are taking multiple AP and IB courses (which I am sure is the case for most of you).
I find it's always important to remember that whatever grade you receive on these exams does not define your intelligence and it certainly does not define you as a person. I urge you to walk away from this test with your heads held high and a smile on your face as no matter what happens, you will definitely survive. Knowing you studied what you could and tried your best should be enough validation. Despite all that, I have no doubts that each and everyone of you has the capacity to crush these tests.