Avatar‘s Easy
Exam-Day Routine

By Carson King
Updated: December 12, 2020

No one likes tests. Okay, maybe some people like tests, but not normal people. And normal people especially do not like law school finals or the bar exam.

Photo Credit: Reddit & Avatar Fan Blog

If you look like something like that (above) it’s OK. 

That’s why I’m here. ❤️

As an avid Avatar: The Last Airbender scholar, I pride myself with a few degrees—sarcasm, tear-bending, and the never-ending art of stress relief. 

You’re not the only person to experience intense pain, stress, and agony! Why, even the Avatar himself was having a hard time getting a “full night of sleep” before his big day. Thankfully, with the help of his friends, he got feeling better in no time!

So let’s go! I’ll show you how they did it with their exam-day routine.

0. Cry out your tears

Likely, you’re here because you’re desperate. ????

Nine outta ten people reading this are likely curled up in a corner crying. French fries are their therapist, and still they find no joy. So in their final act of desperation, they trust Google with their sanity and plead, “how can I pass my test???”

Don’t cry, my child. I’m here for you. Dry those tears. It’s rough, sure, but nothing glorious ever came from doing easy things! You came here to create history.

So buckle up, sugar pie.

1. Do your homework BEFORE

This will, without question, be the most hated piece of advice in this entire blog post.????

Do you think I care? Nah.

If you actually care about this test, you’ll invest time into its preparation. The level of stress is usually parallel to your level of laziness—the more lazy you are now, the more stressed you’ll be later. So BEFORE you come looking for “last-minute tricks-and-tips” to duct tape your poor study habits together, I’m going to throw a brick at your face:

Be ready for the test. Before. 

This is a battle you can actually win. You don’t have to be a loser. Before the test, make sure you glance over your notes—all of them. Take Abe Lincoln’s advice: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.”

Dos:

• Review notes before the test
• Ask the professor questions, so you don’t have any “loose ends”
• Take easy-to-read notes
• Mark your calendar for test day

Don’ts:

• Don’t party with friends when you have studies to catch up on (use rewards to encourage good behavior)
• Prioritize your time

2. Relax

I’ll be honest, step #2 is way easier if you do step #1. Otherwise, you’re just building a castle in the clouds. ☀️

Look. No matter what happens, you will take that test. It’s a fact sealed with more authority than any other word in the dictionary. It will happen. No choice. What you can choose, however, is how you’re going to react to this.

A relaxed mind will study better and ace that test better than any panicked mind could. ;)

So do whatever it takes. Scream into a pillow, a sheep, at your mother in law (actually, horrible idea). Honestly though, I don’t care. Turn on some nice music, watch some classic Lord of the Rings or browse through your high school yearbooks for some bittersweet memories.

This also means taking care of yourself. Don’t be like everyone else and “say” you’re fine with six hours of sleep. Don’t test fate. Sleep a good sleep.

The test is your enemy. Not yourself. So get a hold of yourself and stop freaking out.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Dos:

• Listen to your favorite music
• Get that extra sleep
• Walk around in nature

Don’ts:

• Have a panic attack
• Doubt yourself—you got it :)
• Binge watch too much Netflix

3. Avoid morning drama

Imagine yourself waking up, full of energy. You didn’t even need an alarm clock. The air is vibrant and clear. You get up and drink some orange juice. Sounds nice, right? 

Yes. Make that your morning. If you need a “standard” of conduct, just do what would make everyone else jealous. Hopefully, with that extra hour of sleep (*wink wink), you can wake up with plenty of extra time, so you aren’t frantically searching for your car keys at the last minute.

Photo Credit: Tenor

Dos:

• Get enough sleep the night before
• Treat yourself to a nourishing, invigorating breakfast
• Arrive for the exam (early) in tip-top condition!

Don’ts:

• Eat pop tarts for breakfast
• Be late
• Be stupid

4. Yoga with Katara

Physical activity increases blood flow. ????

It doesn’t even have to be yoga (although brownie points if you do) the point is: stretch! Move! Do something! Especially before the exam!!!

Be water my friend, and loosen those muscles! While this is just “good life advice” in general, this is a little more important than usual, when it comes to tests (especially when the bar exam charges $300+ to retake it).

The night before the exam, stretch. It’ll help you sleep better.

Before you leave for school, stretch. It’ll help you do better.

I swear upon my frozen burrito, if you DARE go into a twelve-hour testing environment, as sore and stale as a wooden peg leg, you might as well tattoo a target over your forehead and give the proctor a shotgun.

Dos:

• Move around before the test
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle (duh)

Don’ts:

• Sit too long

5. Don’t do something you’ll regret

We all love Toph. In fact, she’s the only character in the entire series with a last name (Toph Beifong). Despite this great honor, her “therapy” is—well— torture. Frankly, I’m still surprised Aang survived what he did without getting a severe case of PTSD.

Don’t overdo it. Don’t beat yourself up. While these “tips and tricks” are nice, I promise if you stress too much about getting enough sleep, food, water, etc etc—you’re going to reverse the effects. Don’t be dumb.

Dos:

• Experiment with these techniques
• Look for other tips and tricks online

Don’ts:

• Sacrifice your morality for an extreme tip . . . no matter how tempting
• Take any of these to an unhealthy extreme

(Bonus) Enter the Avatar State

It’s essential that you walk into that testing environment thinking like a winner. ????

Before the battle of the bar exam, there is the battle of the mind. As Confucious once said, “He who says he can, and he who says he can’t, are both usually right.”

So . . . you got this!!!

Believe in yourself. Remember, “this is what you came for!” You signed up for this because it WASN’T easy. You’re a winner. Never forget that. ❤️

Dos:

• Act like you’re going to win! This will trick your mind, and you’ll actually do better
• Smile!!!
• Be patient with yourself! Rome wasn’t built in a day

Don’ts:

• Doubt yourself
• Forget how far you’ve come

Disclaimer: Crushendo is not affiliated with Avatar: The Last Airbender, but the author of this post is a huge fan.