By an Insight Member
As exam and assignment season is looming and soon approaching, I have put together 3 top tips that have helped me survive exam season during my undergraduate years and my master's. Exam season is generally a little stressful for everyone. However, with the correct headspace, working effectively and taking care of your well-being, stress levels can most definitely be minimized.
Tip 1: The key is to stay organized, thus my first tip would be to note down exactly when each exam is and when each assignment is due, either on a stickie note, on your laptop or somewhere where that is easily accessible for you to see and be reminded of deadlines. I would then suggest that creating a rough but realistic plan for the following few weeks would be extremely helpful; for instance, you may wish to dedicate a particular week to one assignment. A rough plan helps as when you start your day off, you know exactly what task you need to be working on. Furthermore, during holiday time, make sure to block out days in advance that you plan to take off from studying so that you are not panicking when you are unable to get any studying done during those days.
Tip 2: Tip number two is to create a study space that you find comfortable and that generally keeps you away from distractions. The place that you live in and potentially study in must be your sanctuary. Thus, it is important that you create a space to work in that you will enjoy being in, is comfortable and a place where you can focus. I know how tempting it may be to want to study in bed but ideally, this is not effective. It is proven that creating a separate environment for studying and resting allows you to focus better when you are studying and to switch off quickly when you are resting. Furthermore, I always find for me that tidying my surroundings and lighting candles helps me to have a clear mind and get to work better, especially in this season. Clutter around me often distracts me from what I am working on. Thus, see what little things help to create a comfortable workspace for you that will allow you to be your most productive self! If you find that you work better around people, coffee shops or the library are an excellent shout! Furthermore, take yourself on a few study dates with your friends or classmates occasionally to change your surroundings of working rather than being isolated and working by yourself every day.
Tip 3: My final tip is to ensure that you are making time for activities that you enjoy, whether that means taking out an hour per day or a day per week to focus on an activity you enjoy. Organize activities or things to do with your family and friends so that you have something to look forward to. Do not isolate yourself by sitting in your room studying continuously for a period of weeks - this is not healthy. Spending time outdoors is also known to be an instant-mood booster, but I appreciate that this may be slightly difficult to do during this time of year considering it gets dark at 4 pm!
I hope that these tips will benefit you in some way. Good luck to you all, I am sure that you will do amazing and smash all your exams!