It’s the most dreaded time of every university student’s year – summer exam period (…yay). Being a student is undeniably several stressful and high pressure years of your life, with over half of students reporting that their stress levels have increased since starting uni. As coursework deadlines and the countdown to exams get nearer it is very easy to get overwhelmed by the seemingly never ending list of work to do, so here are some simple tips to try and slightly ease the pain!
1. Plan!
Planning is crucial before exams and deadlines, in order to maximise the time you have left to complete your revision and write your essays most effectively. It is important to manage your time between all the assessments you have coming up for different modules, and so it is a good idea to make a revision plan. Make a grid of all the days you have left before your exams and deadlines and then divide all the free time you have on those days between the different modules you need to revise or write an essay for, and try your best to stick to your plan! Then you can write specific ‘to do’ lists for each day as they come – setting achievable goals so that you don’t feel more stressed if you don’t quite manage to do everything you intended to do in one day. One technique for this is to divide up your ‘to do’ lists into what you must do, and what you should and could do. Make sure you at least do the ‘must’ part of your list, so that even if you have had a bad or unmotivated day (which happens to everyone, because we are all human), you will still feel as though you achieved something and made some progress. Tackle your ‘should’ section if you’re having a motivated day, and your ‘could’ section if, well, if you’re basically superhuman and have willpower I can only dream of.
2. Sleep
Around deadline time, with all of the stress and pressure we put on ourselves, it can be difficult to get enough sleep. However, it is important to do as much as you can to combat this, as sleep is so important for your brain to function at its best, therefore making your essay writing and revision more effective. Getting enough sleep will reduce stress levels naturally as your body will be better rested and more energised. Some tips for getting a good night sleep are making sure that you stop working a couple of hours before you are intending to sleep, so your brain can stop worrying about deadlines for the night. Have a hot bath or shower to continue to relax your body ready for sleep, and read a book in bed to slowly wind your mind down.
3. Balance your work and social time
Although it is important to focus on your studies at this crucial time of the year, forcing yourself to only do this can often end up being counter-productive! Ensuring you keep a good balance between your studying and social time is really important, to in order to keep you feeling sane! Forcing yourself to be isolated and only do work often is not the best idea, as your mental state will be likely to suffer, which will in turn effect your motivation and work output. Plan a good combination of working and sociable periods – such as working on an essay all afternoon, and then meeting a friend for dinner in the evening. Focused work periods are much more beneficial than simply telling yourself you will just do your work all day, as I promise you that you won’t.
4. Exercise
The endorphin release that happens due to exercising has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways to combat stress. The boost of good feeling this endorphin release causes is such a good way to help your motivation – I find it really useful to make myself get up and out to the gym in the morning, then spend the afternoon afterwards revising. Exercise is also a really good way to distract yourself if you are feeling overwhelmed by your deadlines, just force yourself to put your worries out of your mind for an hour or so and blare your favourite feel good music at top volume, and just focus on your workout!
It may feel like the end of the world at the moment, but it is important to remember that this stressful time will pass as quickly as it crept up on us, and then we can embrace summer with open arms and forget any of this happened… Apart from on results day!
Edited by: Sarah Holmes
Sources:
https://www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/your-study/coping-with-study-related-stress/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/17/better-sleep-tips-best_n_4958036.html
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