Whether you are a primary or secondary school student preparing for SEC examinations, a post-secondary student sitting for A-Level and Intermediate MATSEC examinations, or a university student undertaking end-of-year or finals exams, this message is for you. Beyond motivation, this is a guide to metacognitive skills (thinking about your thinking), rooted in neuroscience, to help you understand and direct the power of adrenaline to your advantage.
While there are multiple hormones and neurotransmitters at play during stressful moments, for simplicity, we will focus on adrenaline, a familiar hormone that, when harnessed correctly, can propel you towards success rather than hinder your performance.
As you approach your exams, your body naturally releases adrenaline, the same powerful hormone that drives athletes to victory and leaders to greatness. But here’s the secret: you can control how it works for you.
Adrenaline, secreted by the medulla region of the adrenal glands, is known for triggering the fight, flight or freeze response. When not properly directed, adrenaline can lead to avoidance behaviours, known as the ‘flight’ response.
Have you ever found yourself procrastinating when you should be studying? Do you spend hours scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, Netflix or YouTube, convincing yourself that you will “study later”? That’s adrenaline misdirected into avoidance, your mind unconsciously looking for an escape route.
On the other hand, adrenaline can also trigger the ‘freeze’ response, leading to mental blocks. This is when students sit for an exam and suddenly ‘forget everything’ they studied, even though they had spent weeks preparing for it. It happens because their adrenaline is not working for them, it is working against them. But here’s the good news: you can control this!
Your prefrontal cortex, the 2mm-thick outer layer of the front part of your brain (cerebrum), is what makes humans highly intelligent. Unlike other animals, humans can reason, analyse and control emotions. This is where you must consciously take charge of your adrenaline response with metacognition – thinking about your thinking. Instead of allowing adrenaline to push you into ‘flight’ (procrastination) or ‘freeze’ (panic and memory loss), train your mind to fight for you.
Direct adrenaline to sharpen your focus; enhance your memory recall; and fuel your determination and motivation. Instead of fearing the exam, embrace it with confidence and strength.
The following are two practical examples:
Imagine a world-class footballer moments before stepping onto the field for the World Cup final. Do you think they are not nervous? Do you think they do not fear making a mistake? Of course, they do! But they channel their adrenaline into action, focusing on their game, making the right passes and giving their best performance.
Or think of your favourite singer just minutes before stepping onto the stage in front of thousands of fans and millions watching live. Do you think they do not experience self-doubt? Do you think they never have momentary fear of forgetting their lyrics? But they take charge of their adrenaline, using it to fuel their passion, engage their audience and give a phenomenal performance.
And you can do the same with your exams. Use metacognition to think about your thinking. Just like the footballer before the final or the singer before the concert, channel your adrenaline towards your success. You have prepared for this. You know your material. Now is the time to trust yourself and perform at your best.
In conclusion, be a warrior of success, not a victim of stress. Your knowledge is within you. Your mind is strong. Your adrenaline is your ally. Go in there and give it your all, you’ve got this!
Josephine Ebejer Grech is a doctoral candidate specialising in the neuroscience, neuroplasticity, metacognition, well-being and academic resilience of post-secondary students.
Tips before your exam
Take deep breaths: Immediately before your exam, breathe in deeply for four seconds, hold for five seconds and breathe out slowly for six seconds, rest for seven seconds and repeat for three times. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, keeping you calm and alert. When you walk into the exam room, walk with confidence. Breathe. Own the moment.
Sleep well: Your brain consolidates memory during sleep. Make sure you get at least seven to eight hours of quality rest the night before your exam.
Eat well: A balanced meal with proteins, healthy fats and slow-release carbohydrates will fuel your brain and keep your energy levels stable.
Stay healthy: Take care of yourself. Embrace positive psychology. Remind yourself that exams do not define your worth. Your well-being is more important than any grade.
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