This semester I had two online exams. Both of them had a duration of 2 hours and were scheduled in the early morning. I prepared for these exams a week before and even fixed my sleep schedule for it. The night before, I went for a walk before going to bed so that I got tired enough to have no trouble falling asleep. The next morning, I woke up an hour before the exam. I took a shower to wake myself up and I prepared my breakfast. I had made sure the previous night that my study table was clean and organized for me to take the exam.
I made sure I had no distractions by placing my other electronics aside. I played white background noise on my laptop to help me focus better. Since these tests were open book, I had to make a concise cheat sheet for my notes. I kept some rough sheets of paper on the side of my desk in case I needed it. I also made sure that I had good internet connection so that I didn't get any last-minute technical difficulties. I read the instructions of the final exam one last time before starting the exam.
I began my test with two hours to go. I kept track of the time I had for each question since it was multiple choice. I also kept some extra time in mind in case I needed any short breaks in the middle. I found it helpful to have my notes open and have my cheat sheet at arms reach. Although it was an open book exam, I still needed to know my material thoroughly and know exactly where to look for an answer. The biggest takeaway from my experience doing online exams at home is that I tried to create an exam environment similar to the exam centre. The only thing different was having some white noise in the background which helped me focus better. The key is to be honest with yourself and make sure that your surroundings have just enough things that you need.
P.S: My favourite coffee drink during exam season is the White Mocha Cold Brew from Starbucks! It is the perfect amount of sweetness with a kick of caffeine.
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