It’s important to look into different exam venues before attending exams as this means you have one less thing to worry about.
Don’t let the layout and echo of a crowded hall get to you, just find your seat number and focus on the task at hand. Remember your student card and pens (preferably more than one in case it runs out, blue or black) leave with plenty of time to avoid being late and take some revision with you to look at before you go in. Don’t worry, if you forget your student card you can use your drivers license or another form of ID as a back up, and if you sit in the wrong seat it’s not the end of the world but you might have to ask an invigilator for help; the seating numbers are clearly provided outside the hall so remember to look before you go in.
The exam venues tend to be a bit splayed out, this requires some organisation and in some cases a practice run to get there- this is always a good bet if you’re worried about getting lost.
In first year I walked from halls a few days before my exam to All Nations on a practice run, which sounds overprepared but I’d hate to miss the exam because I couldn’t find the venue? Now in third year I know All Nations like the back of my hand, but this year I had three out of four exams in new venues.

One was in the Temple of Peace and although at 9am and half asleep, the building was easy to find, it’s actually pretty close and it’s fairly small and for me that is definitely more calm.
Another was in The Heath recreation hall and sports centre which was totally alien to me, luckily I have a housemate who had the same exam, 25 minutes walk in the pouring rain later and we were there, although it was quite far we left with plenty of time and got there very early, better to be overprepared.

It so important to look where the venues are particularly in first year when you’ve only just found out how to get to Martin Evans.

The point I’m attempting to stress here is to revise of course but also look where your exams are and perhaps google it a few days in advance, taking into account the time of the exam itself, the half hour before waiting period and any rush hour traffic if a taxi is needed. Exams are stressful enough you don’t need to be googling directions to the venue the morning of the exam, the key to everything during this season is organisation, exam preparation involves more than just revision, once I grasped that, I was ready to go.

Exam venues make me more stressed than some of my actual exams.
Not just the layout and echo of a crowded hall, but the fear of forgetting your student card, sitting in the wrong seat, being late to the exam or filling out the form incorrectly. To top it all off the exam venues are splayed about like nobodies business, and this requires some organisation and in some cases a practice run to get there.

In first year I walked from halls a few days before my exam to All Nations on a practice run, which sounds stupid, but how much worse would it be to miss the exam because you can’t find the venue? Now in third year I know All Nations like the back of my hand, but this year I had three out of four exams in new venues.

One was in the Temple of Peace and although at 9am and half asleep, the building was easy to find, it’s actually pretty close and it’s fairly small and for me that is definitely less stressful than Taly Sports Hall with 300+ people sitting different exams that leave at different times.
Another was in The Heath recreation hall and sports centre which was totally alien to me, luckily I have a housemate who had the same exam, 25 minutes walk in the pouring rain later and we were there, I can’t help but feel that putting our exams in such a diverse rang of venues increases the stress, particularly in first year when you’ve only just found out how to get to Martin Evans. Another of my exams was in a Hotel in town, in a conference room, that one was odd, sitting in the lounge/bar area with my course mates trying to do revision whilst businessmen order a whisky? seemed a bit strange but again was quite small and once we were there it was fine.

The point I’m attempting to stress here is to revise of course but also look where your exams are and perhaps google it a few days in advance, taking into account the time of the exam itself, the half hour before waiting period and any rush hour traffic if a taxi is needed. Exams are stressful enough you don’t need to be googling directions to the venue the morning of the exam.