S tay calm, focused objective
T ry something new
R e- read, re-write, review
E xercise
S tudy hard
S leep
S tay calm, focused and objective.
Anxiety around exam time is completely normal. Staying calm and having a good study plan however, is essential to push through finals. Stay focused on tasks and try to eliminate all possible distractions. Study in a public place, library or study room. Finally, create an objective or an end goal. Having a goal in mind will make the days leading up to exams more productive and will act as a great motivator. Deep breaths everyone, a break is just around the corner!
Try something new.
Don't let exam stress get you down! Find some new tricks that will ease the pressure of studying for finals. Try a study playlist for example, this will draw the motivation from within that you need to excel! Give yourself small rewards. For every 10 pages reviewed from your textbook, reward yourself with a piece of chocolate or by watching a funny Youtube video. When you study, turn off your cellphone so there won't be any allurement to get distracted. It is important to take small breaks, try new things and to not burn out the light bulb!
Re- write, re-read & review.
Remember to find what study methods work best for you! For some, compiling and re-writing notes is a technique which will allow the material to be embed into your brain. For others, re-reading notes is the most beneficial. Be constructive and be sure to review every possible thing that is on the exam. To do this comfortably, plan out a sufficient amount of time to accomplish your review. Don’t procrastinate!
Exercise.
Exercise is proven to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. It is important to not only keep your body healthy during exams but to also keep your mind sane. Happy chemicals called endorphins are released when you exercise. The endorphins interact with receptors in the brain to minimize the consciousness of pain. Therefore, exercise will essentially make you feel happier. Exercising will act as an excellent outlet, healthy mental break and will physiologically improve your mood. Get to the gym and get moving!
Study hard.
This is crunch time folks! Hit the books hard because this is when it counts the most. Have your set objective in mind and do not lose sight of it. Have faith in yourself and know that you have the capabilities to succeed. Nothing worthwhile comes easy however. If you put in the work, you will reap the rewards of nice marks and no stress over the holiday break. See you in the library!
Sleep.
Studying hours on end, not eating a proper meal and frying your brain is certainly not the right recipe to doing well on finals. If you are feeling un prepared and tired while studying, take a quick 15 minute nap. There are proven benefits which state that napping induces quicker response times, improves performance and betters memory. Put down the coffee and hit the pillow!
Photograph by @voyageursrec