With exams quickly approaching, Maéra Laffont and Amelia Albrecht provide some tips to mitigate stress.
During our studies we all feel stress. Whether it’s due to overwhelming assignments, a time crunch before exams, or just general life struggles, finding a balance between being a student and everyday life is hard, but this article should hopefully help.
When it comes to stress management, sometimes the simplest thing to do is manage your time. Try organizing a “to-do” list for the week or weekend: start by listing out all the things you need to do, like assignments and class or tutorial work, then break these things down even more and note how much time these things are realistically going to take. With this you can better plan out what you are doing and when you can do it. One of the easiest platforms to do this on is Google Calendar, because UCD automatically uploads your module and tutorial schedule for the week and you can add your own items into your school schedule. Additionally, this helps you to see when you have actual free time.
Carving out time for yourself everyday is also really important. This can mean hanging out with your friends, indulging in your favorite foods, exercising, or just taking some alone time for yourself. These little things allow you to recuperate and reset for your next study session. However, if you find yourself needing a break, but don’t have much time, there are also activities you can do at your desk. Many people find journaling or manifestation to be a nice break from studying while still keeping their minds engaged and alert. It is also recommended to do seated stretches, meditation, or focused breathing to help center yourself in your space, and move your body a little. Having said that, if you’re a bit more restless, instead you can set a short timer and play games, watch videos, or plan what you are going to do once your exams are done until your timer is up.
Most of these recommendations have been for your exam studies, but some can be used in exams in some way, shape, or form. The planning you do in making your “to-do” list can help you to plan out an essay, or the breathing exercises could help to calm your nerves before or during your exam. However, after your exam something I have always been told, and what I will now tell you is to take the rest of the day off, relax, and enjoy the success of finishing each exam… unless you have back to back exams, in which case I say more power to you!
While this advice isn’t a lot to go off of, and I am sure that most of you already do these things, it is important to take care of yourself and listen to your needs during these stressful times. And if these small activities among others aren’t able to help, please reach out to those around you, because no matter how important exams are, your health is more important.