Although it hasn't made me stress any less, I think that the whole concept of University exams is really different- they just don't seem quite as significant, but stress you out at the same time!
I think there are many reasons for this:
1) You have a lot less revision time! Instead of like 6 weeks study leave, you get one revision week and then straight in!
2) You have fewer of them. In first year most people have 3, one for each module, but I had 2 this semester because one of my subjects is based only on coursework.
3) You have a lot more coursework to do! And a lot less time to do it in! Instead of working on maybe one or two essays for a whole school year, you have 6 or 7 to complete in a semester! That's approximately one a fortnight! This means time for revision throughout the semester is limited, but also means a lot of the pressure is taken off exams.
4) The 1st year pass mark is just 7 out of 20! That's 35%, which is a lot lower than school exams.
5) You're not spending every day surrounded by people taking the same exams and making you feel good/bad about your level of revision. My flatmates on the whole do totally different subjects.
6) Instead of January prelims and then May exams, you have two sets of "real" exams.
7) In my case you have just started the subject, or haven't studied it in a long time! This won't be the case for everyone, but when it does you do feel like you have a bit of catch up to do!
Although all of these make uni exams different, I think the main thing I've realised while I've been revising is that, at school, when I was revising for the end of year exams (which to be honest doesn't feel that long ago!) , I knew that everything I'd been learning and working on for the whole year basically led up to how well I performed in the exam hall, and that I basically needed to squeeze in every bit of info I could possibly remember. Then it would all be over. Whereas at uni, I feel like, yes the exams are important, but you're actually revising content with the view that you'll need to know the stuff as you continue through your course, provided you don't drop the subject. For International Relations, for example, there was so much content that I just couldn't remember it all, but I will be going back to look at it in the weeks to come as it will set me up for understanding what is to come next semester.
So, all in all, uni exams are quite different to school exams, but not in either a bad or good way! And in the end its still an exam, you still have a cover sheet to fill out in every booklet, an exam timetable, and a requirement to raise your hand and have the invigilator give you more paper if you're like me and have massive writing! And you still can only use clear water bottles and pencil cases and sit at your own individual desk with a wee number in the corner. It's familiar, but different.
For me, I'm just really happy that I'm now freeeeeee to go home tomorrow and enjoy 6 weeks holiday, chilling, working and spending time with my family and friends. Now I'm done with uni for a bit I hope to be on my blog more. I hope anyone who was a bit worried about what exams at unit might be like is reassured that yes they will feel different, but are still nothing to get really worried over!
