When entering exam season, it can be difficult to navigate stress and understand effective study tips. Taking study breaks is crucial for optimizing studying. Here are 5 of my tips to cope with exam season stress:
Get Physical Exercise
The first piece of advice for students during exam season is to prioritize physical exercise during study breaks. Staying active helps keep students engaged in studying and keeps blood flowing which helps optimize studying. Physical exercise also boosts endorphins in the brain, making students happier and less stressed when preparing for exams. Not only does exercise help optimize studying and assist in effective studying but it also gives students a mental break from schoolwork to focus on a different activity and practice different skills. Not to mention, staying active is key to staying healthy; it can be difficult to keep a healthy balance of lifestyle in university but getting physical exercise can assist in maintaining balance.
Make Time for Friends and Family
Another way to cope with stress is to make time for friends and family within your hectic exam schedule. I know it can be difficult to balance a social life while studying but it is important to reach out and surround yourself with people that make you feel good. A good idea is to combine studying and socializing by asking friends to go on study dates, whether that is at a library on campus, one of the many Starbucks on campus or even a local cafe. This makes studying a more fun social activity and can be less daunting for students. It also helps motivate students as they get to have a fun outing while studying, doing this helps to make the most out of being a university student and navigating balance.
Get Rest
Ensure adequate rest and take regular breaks to avoid burnout. Taking breaks is healthy for students and can help improve memory and retain information from studying and staying consistent with studying.Setting study goals helps maximize efficiency. For example, after every hour of studying, reward yourself with a 10-minute break.
Organize and Plan Ahead
The next tip is to stay organized and study in advance to avoid last-minute unnecessary stress. Planning ahead makes each task feel much less overwhelming and helps ensure effective studying. Planning ahead helps students feel more accomplished by allowing them to check off smaller tasks daily, rather than trying to tackle everything at once. A tip for doing this is to get a planner or calendar to plan tasks and store study goals for each day. Staying organized can help reduce stress levels by getting information out of your head and into a planner so students can begin to focus on other things without the mind block of to-do’s getting in the way.
Limit Screen Time
The last tip for coping with exam season stress is to limit screen time. Though this may seem like an obvious tip, it can be hard to disconnect and fully focus on the task at hand in such a media-oriented society. Using social media and technology leads to the downfall of productivity by constantly being distracted by other applications and social media. This can lead to falling down the rabbit hole of doom scrolling and spending hours upon hours on your devices. Some ideas for limiting social media can be to set up time limits for apps. You can do this in your phone settings, by using applications such as the Forest app or by turning studying into a competition between friends!
Exam season can be a very stressful time for many students, you are not alone in feeling anxious or overwhelmed during this time. Know that your peers are going through the same feelings, and I encourage you to reach out to friends or family if you need support. In addition to friends and family, Western offers resources such as free mental health support. To book an appointment with a counsellor, call “519-661-3030”. Western also has emergency after-hours crisis counselling available on Thursdays through virtual appointments, (email campus@cmhatv.ca to schedule appointments). On top of these, Western has many more resources to help support students, visit https://www.uwo.ca/health/crisis.html to access the full list of support systems for students. Good luck to everyone this exam season and remember to follow the above 5 steps to help cope with stress as this semester comes to an end.