Exams

Introduction

It is understandable that you might find upcoming exams daunting. The pressure and stress can feel a bit overwhelming and can ultimately make studying for exams or reaching deadlines even more challenging. There are several ways that you can try and ease this stress and several facilities provided by the college that will attempt to make the whole process as easy as possible.

NUIG Exam De-stress programme – In the weeks leading up to exams and deadlines, the college provides a number of sessions that are designed to help you relax and take your mind off of stress for a while. These range from Massage, Craniosacral Therapy, Acupuncture, Hypnotherapy, Reflexology, Osteopathy to Soccer. The SU also provides plenty of exam de-stress tips and important information on how to remain positive, awake and calm during exam period.

http://services.su.nuigalway.ie/site/view/4010/

CÉIM – CÉIM is a peer-led academic support scheme for 1st year Engineering students and 1st year Legal Studies students. Groups of 1st years meet with trained 2nd year Student Leaders to learn from each other for one hour once a week or once every two weeks. Sessions are held in small groups and have an emphasis placed on collaborative learning and mutual help. The goal is help you get to grips with coursework and to prepare for exams, meet others doing your course, and generally develop knowledge of your subject in a friendly, collaborative environment.

http://www.su.nuigalway.ie/ceim-home

Grinds – If you feel that you would benefit from extra, one-to-one tuition in your subject area, then NUIG provides contact details to many people who provide grinds to students who are stressed. For a fee, students can receive personal tuition that will hopefully serve to alleviate unwanted stress and improve your overall grade.

http://services.su.nuigalway.ie/grind_adverts/

Concerns:

• What happens if I miss an exam? – If you miss an exam then it is required that you sit the repeat exam in Autumn. There's a €195 charge, no matter how many exams, assignments, projects or pieces of coursework you are doing.
• What happens if I’m unable to sit an exam or reach a deadline because of sickness or bereavement? - You should seek a deferral in this case. This is granted by your College in situations of sickness, if there is a close bereavement to you, or circumstances which can stop you from sitting exams. You will need to provide evidence, e.g. doctor's cert. On your exam results it will say ‘deferred'. You will be required to sit this exam(s) in the autumn but there will be no charge. Once one exam is deferred, all subsequent exams will generally also have to be deferred, but there may be exceptions made – you will need to discuss this with the Examinations Office.
• Exam Stress is leading me to feel overwhelmingly anxious – It is understandable that there would be a degree of worry around exam time each year. However, allowing this anxiety to become overwhelming to the point that you feel it is affecting your physical and mental health will certainly not help anything. It is important to maintain perspective and calm during exam/deadline season as best you can. Remember that everyone is in the same boat and that this too will pass! Approach each subject one step at a time and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t know it all immediately. It will come. If you still feel that the anxiety is preventing you from thinking or learning properly, or is affecting your mental/physical wellbeing, then consider contacting the Student Counselling Service or Chaplaincy who will be more than willing to talk it out with you, put things into further perspective and hopefully set you on the right track to successful study.