Strategic Learning: Sustaining Motivation and Well-Being Through Exam Season

Exam season presents a demanding time - with intense academic pressure, tight deadlines, and the challenge of balancing revision, time management, social commitments, and your own wellbeing. Feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin is completely normal. This blog shares evidence-based strategies to make revision more effective and manageable, helping you stay motivated, reduce stress, and maintain a healthy balance throughout the busy exam period.

We are joined by Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow, who shares her expert insights on research-informed learning. Carolina is also one of The Learning Scientists, who share evidence-backed learning strategies for students and educators.

Carolina:

“Exams are a way to assess knowledge and understanding of the taught concepts. They require students to revise and engage in depth with the materials. This means that they are building knowledge and knowledge is one key thing that sets experts apart from novices. Being able to explain concepts in their own words from memory will increase their confidence in their own knowledge and skills which makes it more likely for them to apply all of this in the future.”

Revising during exam season

The urge to study during the run-up to an exam is often relentless; mounting pressure can make us feel like all we should do is study, however there are some important things to consider to ensure your revision stays productive and time efficient. 

1. Organise Your Calendar - Start by noting down exam dates and deadlines in one place. A clear visual representation can be used as a guideline for planning your time and prioritising revision topics. 

Carolina adds:

“Getting all deadlines into the diary and planning study sessions are important first steps, but the tricky part is to stick with the plan. Having concrete tasks set out for each session and increasing accountability through peers can make it more likely for you to follow through with it.” 

2. Know the Exam - Look up the details for the format of the exam; is it multiple choice, open book, long answer questions or a mix? This will also help you to decide on your revision techniques and allow you to practice similar question types. 

3. Use the Learning Outcomes to Structure Your Revision - You can use the traffic light system (e.g. green for ‘confident’, yellow for ‘not sure’ and red for ‘needs practice’) to gauge your confidence on each topic, and target your revision time to prioritise the most challenging topics.

4. Prioritise Active Learning Techniques -  Focus on study methods that involve retrieval practice and elaboration. Techniques like flashcards, mini quizzes, and self-testing strengthen memory far more effectively than passive strategies such as re-reading. While active recall can feel more challenging (and may tempt you back to your highlighters!), it's incredibly valuable for training your brain to retrieve information on exam day. Varying your study techniques can also help keep study sessions fresh and engaging. When revising taught ideas, try to elaborate by answering “Why” and “How” questions and connecting new ideas with your preexisting knowledge.

5. Distribute Your Study Sessions - Cramming is an often used approach by students, but it is incredibly stressful and also leads to more forgetting in the long term. Shorter and more frequent study sessions spread out over a longer period of time (aka spaced practice) is much more beneficial for remembering. Spaced practice supports a continuous learning approach. You can use the Pomodoro technique as a way to start implementing spaced practice into your routine. First, carve out a study session slot (say two hours). Then, set the Pomodoro timer to 25 minutes for focused work (note: you can go with 20 minutes if that works better for your attention span). After that, take a 5-minute break before engaging with another focused studying round. 

6. Minimise Distractions - During these blocked study sessions it is essential to limit distractions to ensure time is spent on-task. Reducing distractions by having a dedicated, quiet space to study and limiting digital distractions will allow you to focus on revision and make the most of your study time.

For more time management techniques and tips for reducing distractions check out Carolina’s resource: Time Management & Study Skills For Students.

Body and Brain Wellbeing

Continuing to focus on our mental and physical wellbeing during exam season is key to achieving a good academic performance. Prioritising sleep, exercise, nutrition, and the things you like to do outside of academics can help forge a balanced student lifestyle and prevent burnout.

• Sleep - Sleep is vital for our health, but it is also when consolidation of newly learned concepts into long-term memory happens. A good night’s sleep will set you up for a more focussed exam day. Prioritise consistent sleep routines at regular times, ideally aiming for an 8-hour sleep cycle each night. Remember that too much sleep can also impact motivation and memory just as much as too little sleep. Establishing a consistent sleep-wake schedule helps regulate your body’s internal clock, supports cognitive performance, and creates a stable daily rhythm which makes studying feel more manageable. 

• Nutrition - Eating regular meals throughout the day and choosing slow-release energy foods can help to support concentration to stay stable throughout the exam period. Try to limit excessive caffeine and sugary food and drink to prevent energy crashes. 

• Physical Movement - A short walk, stretch session, or quick workout can boost focus, improve mood, and reduce stress. Movement helps clear the mind and prevents the tension that builds up during long study sessions. 

• Hobbies - Continuing to participate in hobbies separate from academics can provide valuable mental breaks and help to recharge your mind. Try carving out an hour or two each day for hobbies; whether that is just time for yourself, personal self-care activities, reading a book, or whatever your favourite thing to do for yourself is!

Maintaining Motivation

Motivation naturally fluctuates during exam season. Here are some ways to keep it steady:

• Reconnect With Your Purpose - Remind yourself of why you are preparing for these exams and what they represent for your future self. Whether it is finishing the degree, reaching a personal goal, or even opening up new career opportunities, reminding yourself of the bigger picture can increase your motivation.

• Break it Down - Divide your workload into smaller, manageable steps that can make revision feel less overwhelming. Knowing what you are aiming to achieve and having goals for each study session is also more productive and reduces time wasted on deciding what to study at the beginning of each session.

• Celebrate Your Small Wins - Acknowledging your own progress, no matter how small, can boost morale and reinforce positive study habits. Reward moments like finishing a practice paper, getting a high score on your flashcards, or even finally understanding a difficult concept, with a small treat or break. These small wins create motivation to continue or even lead you to delve deeper into a topic. Remind yourself that the small wins are what leads to the bigger wins. Mastering one concept at a time provides regular achievements allowing you to build confidence in your abilities.

• Change Up Your Study Routine - Try different study techniques that involve retrieval practice e.g. drawing mind maps/concept maps from memory, quizzes with course mates, or describing concepts to friends from memory. These approaches can keep studying active and engaging while improving confidence and long-term retention. You can also change up whether you study on your own or as part of a group. Study groups can help with accountability or when you get stuck. 

Carolina’s practical group study tips:

A) “Make sure everyone in the group shares the same purpose-focused work, mixed work and socialising, or mainly bonding. All versions are valid; you just need to find your people.”

B) “Group study is most effective after you’ve done some independent learning. Arrive with questions and ideas ready to discuss.”

Final Thoughts

With efficient revision, effective self-care and maintaining motivation, exam season doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Prioritising your mental and physical wellbeing during the revision period will set you up for success on exam day.

Trust the process and remind yourself:

You’ve got everything it takes to get through this. 

For more tips on learning strategies:

• Carolina’s LinkedIn

• The Learning Scientists

• Carolina has also created some resources for students which we highly recommend checking out: Time Management & Study Skills For Students and Effective Study Strategies.

References

• Adolphus, K., Lawton, C. L., & Dye, L. (2019). Associations Between Habitual School-Day Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents. Frontiers in Public Health, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00283

• Biwer, F., Wiradhany, W., oude Egbrink, M. G. A., & de Bruin, A. B. H. (2023). Understanding effort regulation: Comparing ‘Pomodoro’ breaks and self-regulated breaks. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(S2), 353–367. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12593

• Carpenter, S. K., Pan, S. C., & Butler, A. C. (2022). The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(9), 496-511. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00089-1

• Chen, O., Castro-Alonso, J. C., Paas, F., & Sweller, J. (2018). Extending Cognitive Load Theory to Incorporate Working Memory Resource Depletion: Evidence from the Spacing Effect. Educational Psychology Review, 30(2), 483–501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-017-9426-2

• Gurung, R. A. R., & Burns, K. (2019). Putting evidence-based claims to the test: A multi-site classroom study of retrieval practice and spaced practice. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 33(5), 732–743. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3507

• Mazza, S., Gerbier, E., Gustin, M.-P., Kasikci, Z., Koenig, O., Toppino, T. C., & Magnin, M. (2016). Relearn Faster and Retain Longer. Psychological Science, 27(10), 1321–1330. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616659930

• Ogut, E. (2025). Assessing the efficacy of the Pomodoro technique in enhancing anatomy lesson retention during study sessions: A scoping review. BMC Medical Education, 25(1), 1440. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-08001-0

• Okano, K., Kaczmarzyk, J. R., Dave, N., Gabrieli, J. D. E., & Grossman, J. C. (2019). Sleep quality, duration, and consistency are associated with better academic performance in college students. Npj Science of Learning, 4(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z

• Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2010.09.003

• van Dongen, E. V., Kersten, I. H. P., Wagner, I. C., Morris, R. G. M., & Fernández, G. (2016). Physical Exercise Performed Four Hours after Learning Improves Memory Retention and Increases Hippocampal Pattern Similarity during Retrieval. Current Biology: CB, 26(13), 1722–1727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.071

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This article was written by Kirsty Donnachie, Anna Rossi, and Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel, and edited by Neave Smith. Graphics were produced by Neave Smith. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.