I’m going to start this post by contradicting my own title: exam prep doesn’t start in the morning, it starts before you go to bed. I’m not talking about flashcards or study guides or review sessions – you’re college students, you know about all that – I’m talking about dressing for success. “Dress well, test well” is a cliché for a reason. It works. And it’s not showing up for an exam frazzled, late, with hair in a bird’s nest but in a full pantsuit that would do Hilary Clinton proud. It’s showing up looking and feeling put-together and ready. You’re a full time student, so taking exams is part of your job. Act like it.
NB: this doesn’t just apply to exams. All my finals this year are term papers or project presentations. No matter what you are doing, whether it’s setting at a tiny science center desk for three hours, or dropping off a manila folder full of blood, sweat, and tears (aka an Ethical Reasoning final paper), or talking your way through a PowerPoint in front of a ton of other students, do you want the last image whoever’s grading work has of you to be of a sweaty mess in yoga pants or a put-together young woman who deserves respect (and a good grade!)? I hope we all answered that question the question the same way. Now, let’s get to it.
The Night Before
No matter how late you’re up cramming, it is always worth it to spend an extra 30ish minutes before you crash to make your morning so much easier. If you do nothing else I suggest in this article, do these three things.
1. Pack your bag. Figure out what bag you want to take in the morning and full it with everything you could possibly need. Fill your water bottle. Pack a snack. Collect all notes and books. Get all chargers you might need. One less important and yet totally annoying thing to do in the morning.
2. Shower. Even if you’re usually a morning showerer, it’s sometimes safer to just get this out of the way, especially before a 9 am exam. You’ll thank yourself for the clean hair if you oversleep.
3. Lay out your outfit. Obviously, if you couldn’t tell from the title/direction/whole point of this article, this is the most important thing. The three things your outfit should be are: structured, comfortable, professional. Whether that means a sundress/cardigan combo, high-waisted shorts and a thick-knit sweater, ponté pants (please god no yoga pants) and a blazer, you should just wear something that makes you look and feel good. Laying it out the night before saves you from wasting time in the morning tearing through your outfit for cute things that match before finally settling on your last clean pair of sweats when you’re already late.
Morning Of
Alright, now we have some options. I find that there are two types of people: those who wait until the last possible minute to wake up before the test and those who need to take their time getting ready. While I’m in the latter camp, either can become the other at the hands of a missed alarm clock or insomnia caused by pre-test jitters, respectively.
Option 1: Short and Sweet (15 minutes)
First, clean your skin with a toner. My favorite is Bioderma Crealine but really anything will do. Follow it with a light moisturizer and a swipe of deodorant – since you showered the night before, this is all you need! Next, brush your hair and pull it into a chic high ponytail. Pop a bright half-turban over top for a little something extra that’ll keep the baby hairs out of your face. For makeup, keep it simple. A medium-coverage tinted moisturizer like the Laura Mercier Oil-Free one is all you need for your face. Fill in your eyebrows with a dark eyeshadow (technically this is optional but I never don’t do my brows). To complete the look, swipe on a dark, fool-proof mascara like Covergirl Clump Crusher and a tinted lip balm like Vaseline Lip Therapy in Pink Bubbly. Now go kill that final!
Option 2: Relaxed and Ready (30 minutes)
Start by making yourself a cup of coffee or tea to get your day started. I can’t get enough of the Donut Shop Coconut Mocha K-Cups, but that’s just my professional opinion. Instead of just cleaning your face with toner, take the time to wash your face with a scrub that also uses mint/citrus/science to wake you up (Clean and Clear does a whole line of them!) and work a thick, smooth moisturizer into your clean skin (I love the St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer–it’s a life saver after too many late nights in overheated libraries). Since you have a few more minutes, you can get a little more adventurous with your hair: straighten it or braid back the sides and twist the whole thing into a low bun. Rather than just slapping on tinted moisturizer, grab a creamy, full-coverage foundation like the Covergirl 3-in-1 Outlast foundation. I use a Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply mine but your fingers or a makeup sponge would work just as well. Then use a deep black, easy-to-use liquid eyeliner pen like the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner to create a thin, crisp line on your upper lip. Finish the whole look with the same Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara and a sheer red lip pencil like the Revlon Just Bitten in Romantic. Now you look and feel alert and ready to go!
Good luck with finals season, my lovely collegiettes. Summer is right around the corner; we can do this!