HOW to develop confidence and nail your exams!

 

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right” – Henry Ford

 

A lot of decisions and opportunities in life can be broken down to whether or not you believe you are capable of achieving them. Our confidence regarding our abilities and capabilities determine much of our lives without us even realising it. Walking into an exam takes confidence in believing you will succeed and below we’ve listed 5 ways you can achieve this. 

 

1.       Stop saying “I can’t” and start saying “I can.” As Henry Ford said, our belief in whether or not we can achieve something often determines the result before we even begin. For example, when you do any test, practise or real, think to yourself ‘I can’ and go into it with the thought that you will succeed and do well. 

2.       Step out of your comfort zone. Life is full of uncomfortable situations, and we need to get used to dealing with this. Do something everyday that contributes to building confidence in this regard. Whether its smiling at a stranger rather than looking away, or trying a new way of doing something, step out of your comfort zone and grow as a person. For example, when doing exams, take the chance and answer that question you’re unsure about. You could get partial marks for it and every little mark counts. The questions and marking keys used in ReviseOnline are designed to reflect what you’ll see in your ATAR exams so you can understand what to expect.

3.       Don’t forget your strengths in pursuit of improving weaknesses. Sometimes, we become so focused on improving our weaknesses that we forget our strengths. Losing sight of what we’re good at hinders the growth of confidence in the long run. Making sure to practise our strengths as well as our weaknesses ensures an equal balance and more even growth. For example, if you know multiple choice are your strongest section, maybe do them first because you know you can do them quickly and give yourself a confidence boost, or tackle the more difficult short answer section first because you know you’ll be able to finish strong.

4.       Be you. In all ways, be true to yourself. While this seems like a simple thing, it takes more confidence than a lot of others. To reject societal expectations and embrace yourself is difficult, but so very rewarding. Let others see your weaknesses and strengths, your insecurities and passions. Allowing others to see everything rather than hiding it away helps you embrace yourself truly and builds positive self-esteem. For example, if you like an unpopular subject, don’t be afraid to say it or hide your abilities. Do your best in every test no matter what other people think.

5.       Trust in your abilities. Self-doubt is the enemy of confidence, and likes to creep up on us when we least expect it. Reject this doubt and trust in the hard work you’ve put in. When the big game/competition arrives, trust in the hours you spent training. When walking into an exam, trust in the study you did and the knowledge you gained. ReviseOnline is great for building confidence in this regard because you can practise doing tests every day. 

In all aspects of life, be confident. If you take note of many leaders and figureheads in society, they are not the people that conform but the people that step away and forge their own path. 

 

You’ve got this!