Managing Exam Stress

Taking exams seems straightforward enough: Go to your classes, do your work, revise and then conquer. Simple, right? However, given the fact that we’re human beings and not merely academic robots, we do actually experience emotions, and have other things in our life to deal with, including the expectations we give ourselves and tend to feel from others. So as we come up to exams, and start to feel a little more pressure as we prepare for them, it’s arguably inevitable and normal to feel  stressed at times! This is OKAY. You can deal with this and even use feeling some pressure to your advantage- a little bit of stress can be a great motivator! So here’s some tips that you might find helpful to de-stress and feel in control coming up to and during this exam period.

1) Plan breaks: give yourself permission to take some time out. We know that it’s impossible to work constantly, so be realistic when scheduling your days and let yourself have some relaxation time- whether that’s a chat with a friend, a walk in the fresh air, or listening to some music, allow yourself to do something positive that makes you feel calmer. That way, when you return to your work and go for your exams, you’ll be much more level headed and focused!

2) Don’t compare yourself to others. Hearing other people talking about how they’re revising, how much time they’ve spent studying, or how much work they’ve managed to do, can sometimes give rise to feeling like you’re not doing enough or not going about your revision in the ‘right’ way. Well, here’s a spoiler for you: ultimately there isn’t a magical formula that you should follow to revise effectively, but there’s probably ways that work best for you! You’re an individual, so don’t feel pressure to conform to how your friends like to work: just make yourself a realistic schedule, study where and when you feel most comfortable, and make your study sessions as long or short as you like. Just take the action that sits well with you.

3) Set yourself realistic targets and breakdown things into manageable sections. Planning work out in this way can help you to feel a little less overwhelmed. Just remember to take things a step at a time and focus on the task on hand. Each step you pass is a little victory in itself!

4) Fuel your body and mind: Nurturing your brain and body with fresh healthy food, lots of water, and enough sleep are great ways to help you to feel refreshed and energised. Being mindful of these things can have a really positive effect on how ready you feel to tackle the tasks you’ve set yourself to do. 

5) Stay active- Get some physical activity into your day. Exercising is a surefire way to release tension and help to clear your head, as well as just making you feel physically more refreshed after sitting down for a while when working. Do something that you find fun! So the gym or a jog might be your thing, or you might rather go for a relaxing walk, or a bit of a dance session (let’s admit it, there’s a bit of Beyoncé in all of us just waiting to express themselves). Just choose an activity that gives you that happy buzz, because you deserve to feel great every day, even when it feels like you’ve got a lot on your plate.

7) One way of dealing with stress is to change the way you look at it. If you have a spare 15 mins , take a look at Kelly McGonigal’s TED talk ‘How to make stress your friend’. Kelly argues that we can choose to view stress as helpful, and create ‘a biology of courage’. She suggests that in recognising ‘your pounding physical heart, working so hard to give you strength and energy’, you ‘trust yourself to handle life’s challenges.’ So taking the perspective that stress is a sign of strength might be something that you find helpful and motivating when going through it.

 8) Seek support if you need it- don’t be afraid to reach out to others. If it helps, speak to your family and friends. There’s also support available from the student union advice service. In addition to this, there are college mentors, and college parents to speak to if you need a bit of advice.

9) Remember, as Hannah Montana sang loud and clear, nobody’s perfect (click the link to experience the joy of Disney pop/rock). During exam time stress happens, and to be honest it can be tough. But really, all you can do is look after yourself and try your best. Nobody (including yourself) should expect anything more!