Once again, exam season has arrived. It’s come around far too quickly, but nevertheless, it’s here and unfortunately it’s not going away anytime soon.
Right about now, the usual feelings of fear, panic, dread and stress all begin bubbling around in your stomach until you start to feel yourself about to practically explode.
BUT, before you let that terror take hold of you, before you begin to self combust, and before you crawl into that all-too-familiar revision-shaped hole, Her Campus is here to save the day! Read on for our best tips on how to survive the dreaded exam period…
Avoid stressing out
Okay, so you may think this sounds impossible, but it really really isn’t. Of course you’re bound to become a little stressed, that’s expected and completely normal! But the important thing is to avoid any unnecessary stress. You need to focus your attention on your studies, so don’t let any other problems get in the way. So, just for now, stop stressing over that new dress you can’t afford or whether your boyfriend will like your new hair-cut and try your hardest to concentrate solely on your exams. Also make an effort not to stress out at caring family members as the last thing you need over the exam period is a pointless argument with your mum.
Think positive
There really is no point in making the effort to revise if you’re already telling yourself you’re going to fail. Having a positive attitude towards your exams and results can immediately make the revision process itself much less daunting. My belief: bad thoughts lead to bad things, but good thoughts lead to good things, and lots of them!
Get organised
It’s important to prepare for your exams weeks in advance (or months if you’re as geeky and organised as me!). I find the best thing to do is sit down and make a plan, managing your time wisely. Be realistic, don’t plan to revise one whole topic in just one day, or don’t plan to sit and revise for 5 hours straight. You’re already setting way too high expectations of yourself, and you’re ultimately setting yourself up for disappointment when revising doesn’t come that easy. Instead, set yourself realistic goals that you know are achievable. Being able to cross off a couple of small goals each day will help show you what you’ve accomplished, whilst giving you more motivation to carry on.
Exam appetite
Exams affect us all differently, with some of us losing our appetites all together, whilst others (me being one) find the only way to get through hours of revision is with a constant supply of chocolate. It is important during this time to eat healthily and regularly, giving your brain the food fuel it needs.
This should include three meals a day, especially breakfast, which you and your brain need to wake up properly in the morning. Stuffing your face with sugary snacks – as appetising as it may sound -will only add to your spots and stress. Try snacking on fruit whilst revising to keep you going, frozen grapes work a treat if you’re a real sweet tooth like me!
Zzzzzzz
It’s vital that you give your body the ideal 6-8 hours of sleep that it needs each night. So do whatever you can to avoid laying awake at night worrying. A routine can help, so try to go to sleep at the same time each night. You should also try to relax yourself and wind down for at least half an hour before trying to sleep. Your brain can’t just switch straight from work mode to sleep mode. Reading can help, as long as you’re reading something easy and not revision notes for once! Take the time to find out what helps to relax your mind and body, everyone’s different; a hot bubble bath can work for some, or just a hot water bottle will do for others. If all else fails, there’s always the chance you could persuade your housemate for a cheeky back rub (good luck with that)!
Reward revision time
Finally, it’s important to remember that you’re still allowed some fun time too. Make sure to schedule some ‘you’ time into your revision plan. Whether it a movie night with the flatmates, or an afternoon of pampering with the girls, or even a morning on your own catching up on your fave soaps and having a read of the latest Her Campus articles. Just remember to take some sort of break from revision, there is such a thing as overdoing it!
Good luck with all your exams!!! THINK POSITIVE! :)