Exam season is looming and while some are glued to their desks, others decide to take the ‘I don’t care’ approach and start studying only days or even hours before they enter the exam hall, writes Bethany Soden.

I envy those who are able to sit and relax and have the thought of 20 exams approaching not phase them, as I for one am trying to pack in as much knowledge as my brain can possibly hold.

It is bewildering to me that people are able to sleep at night knowing that they haven’t done anything to help better their final grade.

As a 15 year-old girl with GCSEs only days away, exams are a stressful ordeal.

Years of class work, learning subjects that may never be useful again to you in the future, all lead down to just one exam paper.

It is how you answer these questions that will decide if you get into the college, sixth form or university you want.

It’s crazy to think that it’s just you and some pieces of paper that determine your academic capability.

What also seems to baffle me is the fact we are able to take these exams that theoretically will determine the rest of our lives at the ages of just 15 and 16.

Why do the government feel that that is the peak of our learning proficiency?

We are able to take these important, life changing examinations, but not able to watch a movie with scenes of violence in?

This may seem out of context but is frightfully true.

The only thing keeping me inspired and motivated throughout the long days of revision is imagining the feeling of complete joy after the last time the exam moderator will ask to put my pen down.

The moment I am able to walk out of the exam hall knowing that I will never have to step foot in that place again… well, at least not for another year.

So if you are like me and are sitting exams within the next few months I advise just to focus on your studies in order to help your future.

So what if you don’t go shopping or see your friends for 14 days? You will be able to go out as much as your heart desires when your final exam is over, knowing that you have achieved as much as you possibly could.

• Getting through the exam season

1. Make a plan. Look at the number of topics you have to revise and the amount of time you have until the exam. Then draw up a timetable. Switch between subjects to avoid boredom and break it down into realistic chunks – ie, 20 minutes per topic.

2. Reward yourself. Give yourself a little treat for every topic you revise successfully, like a piece of chocolate or a cup of tea. Having said this, make sure you’re getting your five fruit and veg a day and drinking plenty of water in the run up to the exams so you’re feeling as good as possible. Make sure you get your eight hours’ sleep.

3. Don’t fret. If you start to doubt yourself think about all the hard work you’ve done. Don’t ask yourself questions right before the exam because it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll think you don’t the answer and start to fret.

4. Don’t dissect. Avoid comparing yourself with your mates. Don’t compare answers when you come out of the exam. It’s too late to go back and change what you’ve written anyway. Just remember you’ve tried your best and that’s all you can ask of yourself.