Keep your Cool during Entrance Exams

Your college entrance exam may be one of the most important exams you will ever take in your life. With all the importance placed on a good college education these days it's no wonder some of us feel overwhelmed when we step into that testing center, no matter how hard we've reviewed! Here are three tips to help you overcome your nerves if you feel yourself panicking before the big test.


1) Take a Walk
If time permits before the test, try to take a short brisk walk to release any nervous energy. People sometimes try to do this by pacing back and forth but the repetitive motion can sometimes just ingrain the stress more deeply in your mind. Instead try to take a walk around the testing center, under the open sky if possible and try to take in your surroundings to get your mind off your nerves. Just remember not to get lost!


2) Breathe Deep
When we're stressed we tend to tense our muscles and hyperventilate. Beyond possibly continuing into an escalating cycle of panic, this can lead to something called Carbon dioxide washout. Too little CO₂ in our system makes you light-headed, tingly and can lead to fainting. Try to take deep slow breaths.


3) Smile
Research has shown that the physical act of smiling can actually improve your outlook. The activation of muscles used to form particular facial expressions sends signals to your brain that affect your mood. Scowling and wrinkling up your brow just darkens your mood further while smiling, despite the worries and the stress can alter your outlook on the situation and help you see things in a more positive light.


In the end, whether we manage to completely regain our cool or not, we just have to be confident in our abilities and the time and effort we've put into study and the quality of your review sessions. 


What are your tips for beating stress?

Student Spotlight: Simon Liu

Simon Liu

Simon was a high school senior at Ateneo high school when he got into a car accident. He was riding shotgun in his uncle's sedan, on his way home from school when a taxi cut them off as they tried to make a right turn, slamming into the side of the car. 

When Simon woke up he was in the hospital and couldn't feel his legs. The doctor told him that he had sustained comminuted fractures, meaning the bone had shattered in several different places. Pins had been inserted into his legs and were held in place by an external brace to keep the bone from moving while he healed. He was told that he would have to stay in bed for a month or more and return to the hospital for several weeks of physical therapy before he would be able to walk again. 

His final exams were in 6 weeks.

Worried that he might fail his final exams if he missed 5 weeks of lessons, Simon's parents enrolled him in AHEAD Interactive's online turorial sessions to help him keep up with his school work. And although wasn't able to walk on stage to receive his high school diploma, he passed his exams with high marks and is now a sophomore taking up B.S. Biology in Ateneo de Manila University.

What's your AHEAD Interactive story? We'd love for you to share your journey and insights below in the comment thread or on our facebook page.

Study Tips

Studying can be a tedious task and sometimes even all but impossible with all the distractions surrounding us on a daily basis. Whether it's your friends, your family, or that uncontrollable need to know who makes it to the next round of American Idol we would all rather give in to things that are surely more pleasurable than a night of hitting the books (figuratively, or out of frustration). But like it or not, everyone has to study. Yes, even you! With exam season looming on the horizon here are 5 helpful tips to get you through that necessary evil.

1) Divide and sub-divide your study material.
When you break your study matter into manageable chunks, to be handled on a regular basis, it's far less daunting than tackling the entire subject matter head on, all in one go. Sure you could pull off the latter but not without consuming several pots of coffee and burning yourself out. Not to mention your retention of the material won't be anywhere near as good. Do yourself a favor and take it a little at a time.

2) Budget your time
Figure out how much time you have to study each topic (# of topics/time to study) and stick to it. If you haven't finished the topic within the allotted time, move on anyway and come back to it if you finish another topic early. Setting a schedule like this helps you keep up your pace and prevents you from answering half of your exam perfectly and staring blankly at the other half because you didn't even skim that topic yet.

3) Use your personal learning style
Everybody's brain works a little differently and processes information in different manners and at different speeds. Figure out if you're a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner and use that style to your advantage. Why try to make a square peg fit in a round hole? Do what works for you.

4) Note your Circadian rhythm
This idea continues on the note of doing things that work for you. A Circadian rhythm is your body's natural 24 hour cycle. When fleshing out your study schedule, try to take note of your body clock and the times of the day in which you feel most energetic and productive. Studying at these times is easier than willing yourself to study when your body is accustomed to shutting down. If you're naturally a morning person (or a night owl), then make plans to study at that time. 

5) Find a study buddy or two (or three)
When I say study buddy, I don't mean the cute boy/girl you've been mooning over in class. Whether it's a group of your close friends studying for the same exam, your AHEAD Interactive tutor, or even your roommate who isn't even taking the same subject, having someone who can egg you on (or at least share in your suffering) can really keep you going.


Even if you have all these tips, you won't be able to put them into practice unless you just bite the bullet and take the time to sit down and study. Don't worry about missing American Idol. It reruns too much for its own good anyway.


Everyone has their own tricks up their sleeve. What are your sure fire study tactics?