Exam writing advice

Here's some advice on writing exams (no warranty expressed or implied!):

• Get a good night's sleep before the exam. Those extra few hours of cramming aren't worth it. In problem solving courses like chemistry, you need to have a clear head - and have your wits about you. Which brings me to the next point...
  
  
• No partying in the week before an exam. From bitter experience, it takes this long (at least) for the brain cells to get back up to speed.
  
  
• When you sit down with the exam, quickly read it through and classify the questions as a) easy b) require some work or c) what the Hell is he talking about?! Do category (b) first, (a) next and then, if there is time, work on (c). Always leave a few minutes to check things over; if only to make sure that you haven't made any stupid mistakes on the type (a) questions.
  
  
• Remember, you're in this for the long haul. Even if you bomb this exam, chances are you won't bomb them all. If you don't do as well as you should have, treat it as a learning experience, not as a failure. This is school after all, and you're the student. By definition, you don't have all the answers, not yet. Which brings me to the the next-to-last point...
  
  
• Test writing is an acquired skill; you're not born with it. Success is measured by your grades. You have to learn how to learn, and learn how to write tests that prove what you know!
  
  
• Last, not least: relax. Be calm. When you get to the exam room, take a deep breath, go in there, and do your best.

Good Luck!