As March comes to an end, we get closer and closer to the start of exam season. Since this is usually one of the most stressful times of the year for pretty much every university student, I thought I’d share some tips and tricks that have personally helped me combat end-of-term exam stress!
- Setting realistic goals/schedules:
One of the most common causes of exam season stress is the sheer amount of work that needs to be done in a very short amount of time. This is why it’s important to actually plan out when everything needs to get done and when exactly you’re going to carve out the time to work on an assignment or to study for an exam. For example, you could write your due dates for everything out onto a planner or calendar. Then, working backwards from the due date, think about how much time you’ll need to allocate to study or to finish a particular assignment. Once you’ve done this, record a note about how much you want to get done on each day for each assignment or exam. For instance, if you have a final essay due for one of your classes, record the due date, and then record what you want to get done each day. On the first day of the week, allocate time to write an outline. Then, on the second day, allocate time to write the introduction paragraph. Continue breaking down the assignment in this way until it’s finished, and voila! You can cross one thing off of your to-do list!
Setting these goals for yourself each day makes exam season far less overwhelming. You can break assignments and study sessions down, have a concrete plan on what needs to be worked on and when it should be done, and thus give yourself enough time to get all your work completed!
- Practice healthy personal habits (eating, hydration, sleeping)
When we feel our best, we also perform at our best. This is why it’s important that, during exam week, you carve out enough time to practice healthy everyday habits. This means doing things like taking the time to eat healthy, nutritional meals (not just relying on fast food or ramen bowls as I’m often guilty of), drinking enough water, and giving yourself time to rest by getting enough sleep. For example, don’t pull all-nighters just to study or get an assignment done. This will lead to burnout, and you won’t feel as motivated to get work done due to exhaustion. Instead, practicing healthy habits will give you the energy you need to complete your tasks and will help fight against burnout and the complete exhaustion many of us are prone to during exam season.
- Distraction activities
While it’s important to use your time wisely during exam season, it is also important to engage in activities that allow your mind to take a break from thinking about exams and other academic obligations as well. These types of activities could range from hanging out with friends, going on a walk or hike, or just binge-watching a TV show you’re really into. Basically any enjoyable activity that doesn’t have anything to do with school will work well for this tip. These types of activities are important not only because they allow your mind to rest, but also because they can be used as rewards in return for the work you’ve already put in, thus incentivizing you to continue to get your work done.
- Reduce phone usage
I think most of us can agree that it’s really easy to lose track of time while on your phone. The endless scrolling on apps like TikTok and Instagram can get addicting. For this reason, it can help a lot to limit your phone usage during exam season. Doing this can help you feel more on track and prepared to start your work. For example, you can use app limit settings in order to control the amount of time you spend on an app or your device in general, during a certain period of time. Let’s say you set limits for app usage in the morning. In this case, you’ll be less likely to get distracted early on in the day, allowing you to reduce the time you spend procrastinating and get more work done in the amount of time you’ve carved out for the assignment. Overall, the less you feel the need to check your phone, the more focused you’ll be during exam season.
All in all, the strategies discussed in this article do provide a good baseline to making sure you’re in the right headspace to tackle exam season and all its struggles head on. While it can be easy to get lost in feelings of stress and anxiety during this time, it’s also important to make sure you’re prioritizing both your mental and physical health.