BBC Online Student Essentials May 2001

Read on to find out what helped Gail Porter to deal with pre-exam nerves and how kippers helped her to do well in her exams! And read about her day out on the beach, which is probably the reason she is a TV presenter!

How did you feel before a big exam?

Before my big exams, my mum would come and wake me up and say "It's time to get up - I've got kippers on," because she thought that if I had oily fish before I went for an exam I would suddenly have the brains of Einstein. And so me and my brother used to have to sit there in front of our kippers on toast - it was so bad that I've never eaten kippers again to this day. Then mum would say "Off you go!" and so I didn't actually get that stressed in the morning because I was too busy feeling sick after the kippers.

I did actually point out to her that you do have to revise for a few weeks beforehand, rather than just get up in the morning, eat kippers and all will be well! It's like fortune cookies, it doesn't work like that! But it kept her happy and I passed. So actually kids just eat kippers! But it kept her happy and I did get my eight O-levels!

What was the worst experience during your exams?

I went to my accountancy Higher, which is like an A Level. I looked at the paper and I was just snoring before I even picked up my pen it was that boring, so I sat in there for 20 minutes, writing all over the desk (as you do in exams!), "Gail failed accountancy here...Gail fancies xxxx!" Once you could leave, after 20 minutes, I got up and went for a walk on the beach.

I got home and my Mum said, "You've got very sandy feet dear, what was going on in the accountancy exam?" and I went, "Erm, well, they had one of those sand boxes in the hall...and we had to walk through it to get to the exam" and she said, "Okay dear were the kippers helpful?"

That was my nightmare, I didn't tell her I walked out, and I didn't tell her I didn't answer any questions and I didn't get any result whatsoever. So that's why I'm not an accountant!!

What tips would you give to anyone who is getting stressed about their exams?

Don't panic and don't worry if everything goes pear-shaped because it's not the end of the world.

What do you do to chill out?

I like running to de-stress, if I'm really uptight.

What would you say to people stressed out with their exams?

Go the gym or take up martial arts or take up something where you can just kick or punch or run off some steam, that is the best way to do it...I still don't know where my accountancy result went to, my mum said, "I thought you did accountancy as well dear?" and it wasn't on the paper which meant you got no grade whatsoever! I did fool her and tell her it's coming in another envelope but I am now 30 years old and that envelope has still not arrived, so I wouldn't worry about it! Read on to find out what distracted Gail Porter when she was revising - especially her delay tactics! And bookmark this page as we'll be adding more on Gail's exam experiences throughout the summer.

Were you a planner or a crammer?

When it came to exams I think I did a bit of both. I planned some and I crammed a lot of exams as well. I was pretty well-behaved though and I would try and get as much knowledge stuck in my head as possible instead of leaving everything until the night before.

Did you have a revision plan?

I didn't have a revision plan although I'd start to think to myself "Three weeks, I've still got plenty of time; two weeks, plenty of time; a week, not so much time; tomorrow, I'm not ready!" But I didn't have a definite plan.

Did you enjoy taking exams?

I loved English but I hated every other exam. I wouldn't do too badly during the year but when put under pressure I would sometimes buckle and things would go out of my head. Exams are strange things because you can work really hard throughout the year and do really well and suddenly you can ruin it all in one day and one bad paper. It's a bit like performing. You can rehearse and rehearse until you're fantastic and everything can still go wrong on the day.

What tips would you have for people preparing for their exams?

Don't panic and don't worry if everything goes pear-shaped because it's not the end of the world. I still don't know where my accountancy result went. My mum said "I thought you did accountancy as well dear!" when she saw that it wasn't on the results paper which I knew meant that I'd got no grade whatsoever. But I did fool her and tell her that it was coming in another envelope. I'm now 30 years old and that envelope still hasn't arrived!

What distracted you when you were revising?

I'd discovered the video camera which I used to set up in my room and my mum would say "Are you revising up there?" and I'd go "Yeh, yeh, yeh" and I'd put my video camera on and I'd get my mate Nicola around and we would put music on like Buck's Fizz or Prince and then we'd dress up and sing in front of the camera. And my mum would say "What are you revising?" and we'd go "Music!". We'd also make up little dramas and I'd video myself revising and singing - I've still got those videos but don't tell anyone!

How would you put off revising?

I'd do anything to put off revising. Cleaning the house, checking to see if a neighbour had left a light on, anything!