Exams are looming and the fear has set in. The library is bursting with students desperately clutching at books, hunched over scraps of paper, frantically searching for the notes to that one lecture they decided to miss, all in the hopes that just a fraction of it will somehow sink in. The coffee machines are raking it in, as caffeine driven hordes of students search for solace in the arms of the vender; please Passion De Cafe, just one more hit!
Then there’s the rollercoaster ride that is the “overheard conversation,” learning somewhat smugly that someone else is further behind than you, before being brought straight back down again by that one person that has already finished their revision with time to spare. The hardships of exam season do not end there however; there is still the tricky library seating etiquette to master, as students eye one another up across the room for the last seat in the JB Morrell. This is the final hurdle before summer, and in a matter of weeks it’ll all be over. The library will fall silent, that one lecture won’t matter anymore and the Passion De Cafe will no longer ring with change.
But for the moment it is hard to imagine life after exams. No doubt are they a key part of the university experience, but they can also be a daunting one. For the next few weeks balancing work and play will be on the minds of students across campus, regardless of whether you’re an exam season veteran or a first year rookie. Either way it is important to remember that whilst exams are important, it shouldn’t come at the cost of your health and wellbeing.
It sounds obvious enough, but under stress we often forget to give ourselves time to rest and recuperate. Despite what others might say, it is alright to give yourself the night off every once in a while, guilt free. Take time to sit back and relax, but if even that sounds too laidback use the time to get round to that other thing you’ve been putting off since the start of term. But most importantly, remember that if exams were that bad no one would ever make it past their first year.