The time of January and February is for many students one of the most stressful times. The exam period after the first half of the academic year. You need to overcome stress in order to perform well in exams. For the first year’s students it can be the first clash with reality: after some months of finding their place at an educational institution, getting to know their classmates and blending into a new social group, now it’s time to really focus on the purpose of studying – actually learning something. Of course, ideally they would have studied during the whole semester, but at the beginning, there is so much more to do!
Tips to Overcome Stress During Exams
However stressful this time could be, the important thing is to overcome stress and be able to pass all the exams. Here are some tips that will help you manage stress during the winter exam period.
Take Care of Yourself
When you focus so much on the study material and coming exams, it’s easy to forget about taking good care of yourself. All those energy drinks, fast foods (so that you don’t lose your precious study-time for cooking), staying up all night etc. It seems a good idea at first if you have a lot to learn, but trust me, it’s not. This way your damaged body will get under stress more easily. So despite all the exam-related things that you have to do, remember to eat well and healthy, sleep long enough, exercise and make sure you feel good. Then you can overcome stress easily or the chance to get stressed is lower!
Start Early and Plan Ahead
It is obvious that postponing your studying for the night before an exam is not a good idea. Try to start earlier. Did you already leave it for the very last minute? Are you stuck with a huge amount of study material with a couple of days left? Be realistic. Lots of material in a few days can be extremely stressful and you need to overcome stress. Going for Either chooses one subject that you will learn perfectly or decide to learn just enough to pass a few subjects.
It would make the whole study process easier if you plan it ahead. Even the exact hours! Make an entire agenda of when and what you want/need to study and try to stick to the plan as much as possible. Also, don’t forget to plan your breaks, time to sleep or relax. Even if you don’t stick entirely to the plan, you will have a clear overview of what you need to do and when.
Avoid Distractions
When you try to study a big chunk of material, you can easily get distracted. Try to avoid it by planning short breaks (even 5 minutes for every half an hour can help you stay focused for longer and learn more effectively) and try to be prepared for everything. Of course, you’ll get distracted if you didn’t eat properly – so plan a meal break in advance. If you are a smoker, you could feel more often the urge to do a cigarette break. You can avoid it by switching to vaping. Make use of all those vape deals that you can find online so that you can be still studying without having to go for a smoke every once in a while. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure to have some snacks next to you, so you don’t have to go to the kitchen every now and then.
Mindset and Relaxation
Sometimes when you already started studying, what distracts you the most is the terrifying thought “I’m not able to do it, it’s too much”. If you focus on this kind of thoughts, it can surely stress you out. Here is the thing – whatever this exam is, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t pass it. It’s really not. Thinking that can only make it worse, so try to avoid having such a mindset. Instead, to overcome stress try some relaxation techniques like breathing exercises or yoga.
Get Ready for the Exam
When the time of the exam has come or is near, there are still some things you can do for yourself besides desperately looking at the books and hoping you’ll memorize something more. Instead of staying up all night before the exam, get proper sleep. Your brain will be fresh and therefore you’ll get easier access to all the information stored inside. Eat a good breakfast, something that will keep you full during the exam. Dress up nicely – this would give you a positive kick and motivation. Try to stay optimistic and make the best out of this exam!
The exam period might be stressful, but this stress doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you manage it properly. All in all, it’s just a week or two of studying hard and when it’s over (and when you know the results) you can relax again and not think about it… until the next exam period 😉
