This is 10 of 10 posts on exams, also known as “The Exam Series,” created by collaborators Amanda Bynum (Professor of Practice, Law | Director, Bar & Academic Success | The University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law); Shane Dizon (Associate Professor of Academic Success | Director, Academic Success Program | Brooklyn Law School); Halle B. Hara (Professor and Director of the Academic Success Program | Capital University Law School); Jacquelyn Rogers (Associate Professor of Law | Academic Success & Bar Preparation | Southwestern Law School); and Sarira A. Sadeghi (The Sam & Ash Director of Academic Achievement | Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University)

Exam Preparation - Physical and Mental Health

Sleep and Exam Performance. There are a multitude of studies showing the positive correlation between sufficient sleep and exam performance. Sleep is no less important to take-home exams. The simple truth is that sleep impacts cognitive function, improving decision-making and recall. A 2019 study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that the three most important measures of sleep in terms of impact on exam performance are duration, quality, and consistency. The sleep in the weeks and days leading up to exams has a greater impact than sleep the night before the exam. The time you go to bed matters too. If you go to bed after 2:00 a.m., your performance declines even if, for example, you get seven hours of sleep. 

Nutrition and Exam Performance. As with sleep, there are many studies demonstrating that students who eat a balanced breakfast perform better on exams. An ideal exam-day breakfast includes slow-release carbohydrates like whole grains and high-protein foods like eggs or yogurt. It is equally important to hydrate in the days leading up to exams and on the exam day itself. The symptoms arising from even mild dehydration, such as fatigue, headaches, and impaired concentration, are not conducive to performing your best. Avoid sugary foods and drinks as well, which will lead to energy highs and lows. Finally, if you have a lengthy exam, have a high energy snack prepared and ready to go in your at-home exam room. Suggestions include a granola bar, almonds, or fruit.

Effective Breaks and Exam Performance. Just as you may want to take a short, planned snack break during a lengthy take-home exam, you’ll also want to take appropriate breaks between exams. But not all breaks are created equal. Breaks exploring social media, texting, or reading the news are not restorative. A short walk outside, in contrast, will do more to keep you going and even reduce feelings of anxiety. A recent Princeton study confirmed that, even after 24 hours, exercise continues to reduce anxiety symptoms. Meditation, or a good power nap of ten or fifteen minutes, are also good options to boost your productivity and focus.

At the smallest time segments, even standing up and stretching during an exam reduces strain and tightness on muscles, especially those in your head, neck, and arms. And good, mindful breaths (in through the nose, and out through the mouth) both provide your brain with its most important fuel (oxygen) and purge its most important waste byproduct (carbon dioxide). These gains easily offset the perceived “losses” of an extra minute not writing, and many students forget that.

The Role of Mindset and Self-Efficacy on Exams.

In order to get in the exam mindset, dress for your success. Plan what you are going to wear, just as if the exam were being offered in the law school. Taking your exam in your pajamas without having showered will not bring about your best performance. Dressing appropriately may seem small and insignificant, but it will have a noteworthy impact on your mood.  

Similar to mindset, self-efficacy is your belief that you can successfully achieve on an academic task or attain a specific academic goal that you have set for yourself.  High self-efficacy when attempting difficult tasks creates feelings of calmness or serenity, but low self-efficacy may result in a student perceiving a task to be more difficult than it is, which may create anxiety and limit the ability to problem solve.

To boost your self-efficacy going into exams, consider the following:

• Off load your worries. When pressure is high (like on a law school exam), the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for our working memory, focuses on the anxiety instead of recollecting essential information for successful performance. When a student is filled with too much anxiety, the anxiety can interfere with their thought process and their working memory. Although it may seem counterintuitive, the relevant research shows that writing down fears about test performance before an exam can actually increase test scores as much as 15%.  Putting your worries on paper relieves your “working memory” of having to keep track of them.  Consider listing all your worries on paper and tell yourself you are going to leave them there to eliminate them from your mind. These can relate to the pandemic, your exams, and whatever else is weighing on your mind.

• Develop a mantra that recognizes your strengths and accepts that you will experience stressful thoughts on occasion.  Remember that not all stress is bad—eustress can actually increase performance. Examples of mantras are “I can handle this” or “I expected this to be a challenge.” Consider writing a mantra and explaining how it will help you through exams.

• Concentrate on your progress. Think back to the first days and weeks of law school.  How did you feel when completing your first reading assignments?  How did you feel in class?  Now shift your mind to last week. Compare how you felt last week when completing your reading assignments and in class. Try writing a paragraph about your individual growth during law school. Note what you have been able to accomplish during this time of law school closures and social distancing. Be kind to yourself--even a small step toward progress moves you forward.

• Remember your reason. Write a paragraph about the reason that you chose to attend law school. Examine if the reason has changed and acknowledge that, with each exam, you are much closer to your goal of becoming an attorney even during these trying times.

• Remember your efforts. Acknowledge this semester has been difficult and write a paragraph outlining all the efforts and the time you have invested to perform well.  Provide examples of how you have taken control and ownership over your own learning in order to succeed.

You’ve got this!