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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

Exam season has hit, and suddenly the romanticism of college has turned into the stress of passing all my exams.  As someone who likes the romanticism of college, I love being in the library with my aesthetic notes and colored highlighters doing small, simple, and easy tasks.  The only problem is since the middle of September I have had at least one exam a week, and sometimes romance does not quite cover everything. 

I love school, and I love what I do, but the stress of it all can still get to me.  I have stayed up too late because I pushed off my work, or felt so lost the day before an exam because I didn’t study the right way.   These are the moments I need to step back and say everything will be ok.

Staying on top of my work and staying motivated can be difficult when I feel like there will be a never ending cycle of exams in my future.  When I go down this path I loose all motivation.  Why am I even doing this? What is it all for?  Why study for this exam if right after I have to turn around for the next?  The answers to this may seem clear to a clear mind, but when the stress of an exam hits sometimes it feels like everything will crumble.

This semester is by far the most exam heavy.  With four challenging classes I am constantly looking forward to the next thing. 

Stress is normal and ok, but can feel terrible and shattering when its bearing down on you.  In order to combat this stress, I have been forced to learn to treat it as a friend rather than an enemy. 

While stress will always come leading up to a big exam, I can get ahead of it by getting my work done early.  Making my study guides as the course goes through the material, instead of right at the end is something that has made me feel much more prepared.  Instead of making my study materials and then studying, I can just study.

Even with getting ahead of my work stress still finds a way into my life.  This is when I treat it as a friend.  Instead of yelling at my stress to go away, which would only make it stronger, I embrace it. 

I have never faced an exam without even a shred of stress, so I have started to find ways to deal with it.   I sometimes get myself a treat such as Starbucks or apple juice, or I will take time to watch something that I like.  

My favorite thing to do is to stare at a blank wall, give my mind time to rest, and take some deep breaths.  Understanding that my stress is ok, and my stress means I care. 

I do what I do because I love it, and I care about how I do because I love it.  Without that joy and without that stress, my motivation to continue would evaporate.  Reminding myself I am capable and I am doing what I love is the key to taking on these exams head first, instead of shrinking into the abyss of stress and terror.

Julia is a member of the St. Bonaventure Her Campus Chapter. She is from Ridgefield Connecticut and plans to write pieces about lifestyle, mental health, and literature Julia is a sophomore at St. Bonaventure University, who currently studies Biology and Mathematics. Julia is the Vice-President for Model UN outside the classroom and is actively involved in ASBMB and the college radio station as well as working as a peer coach and Supplementary Instructor. In her free time Julia enjoys playing piano, going for runs, ice skating, and reading. Her favorite books are “I am the Messenger” by Markus Zusak and “The Darkness Outside Us” by Elliot Schrefer. Julia hopes one day to be an author publishing contemporary books.