Photo by Jermaine Hudson
By Sophia Buckner
Exam season is perceived as one of the most stressful times for students – but it doesn’t have to be! Here are some exam do’s and don’ts I’ve found helpful that might work for you as well.
Do’s:
- Balance my workload with fun! – Maintaining a good balance between work and fun makes my studying and motivation consistently more enjoyable. I try and find things I enjoy – anything from staying in bed and watching a movie or going out and spending an hour or two with my friends. Making room for fun activities helps give my mind a break and acts as a nice refresher from studying.
- Finding proper study habits that best suit me – Studying and memorizing are skills that I’ve learned by finding study methods that work for me. For math or science, I use practice problems and visual examples. For memorizing, I typically rewrite my notes or make flashcards. These study methods work best for me because I’m a visual learner!
- Self-care – Even if this is just going outside and getting a few moments of fresh air, this can help you immediately reduce levels of stress. Also, make sure to maintain practicing proper hygiene habits during this time to take care of your mental and physical well-being. I have found that dressing nice and making sure I feel and look nicer has helped me be more productive. Taking some time out of your day to practice other things like trying to meditate or listen to some music could help give you the motivation you need to continue working hard on doing well on your exams.
- Studying at my favorite spot – There are many prime quiet study spots around campus, but my favorite is D. H. Hill Library. The bottom floors are crowded, but if I can find a top floor, these are normally quiet and the views are beautiful (especially the sunsets). James B. Hunt Library is a good one too. It’s also possible to reserve study rooms to have more options of quiet spaces to study. Aside from the libraries, there are wonderfully quiet areas in Talley, and I can always stay in my dorm room.
- Being with people I like – I try to find people who are also studying the same material as me or in the same classes. Having classmates or friends as study partners helps me boost my motivation to study. This might help you memorize your vocab list or flashcards and resolve any questions you have together. Also, try not to study in your bed. You may lose focus and get distracted by how cozy your pillows are. Instead, you should try to recreate the exam environment (so it’s easier to focus).
Don’ts:
- Overthinking – Overthinking can get my mind way off the topic of what I actually need to focus on and leads to me becoming more disorganized. I overcome my overthinking habits by applying the do’s mentioned above like exercising and balancing work with fun.
- Poor sleeping habits – I try to set up a study schedule so that I’m not waiting till late at night to cram in study sessions. Maintaining a solid sleep schedule is very important when dealing with the stress of exam season. I always make time for sleep even during this chaotic time to help my mental and physical awareness for studying/exam prep. Trust me, this will benefit you as well!
- Not exercising – I do what feels best for me. Whether this is walking, running, yoga or any other physical activity, it’s always good to get my body moving. Setting aside even just a few minutes each day helps boost my brain power and keep my stress levels lowered.
- Bad eating habits – Just because I am on a tight routine to make sure all of my studying gets done doesn’t mean I have to make time in the day to eat a proper meal and fit in some healthy foods. I also try to incorporate some brain foods like green vegetables, smoothies or nuts to aid my physical and mental capacity.
- Being unorganized – I keep a schedule on Google Calendar to help me keep track of what I need to get done in preparation for studying. I also keep my study area tidied up to help me better focus. I have to remember to organize my notes from the lectures to make sure I am only having to study what I need to know for the test. I have learned that being unorganized will ruin my study routine and give me even more stress and hassle.
Practicing these few habits and maintaining proper self-care boosts my exam scores and increases my overall mental and physical well-being. Hopefully some of my techniques are useful to you – experiment with what works and what doesn’t! Best of luck with your finals!