As exam season is creeping up, many students already feel the weight of the workload, pressure, and stress that comes with it. The weather certainly doesn’t help. The sun sets at 4pm, and the afternoons are cold, dark, and windy. All I want to do is nothing, which doesn’t help my productivity with the essays and exams looming over my shoulder. Luckily, there are ways to make this winter exam season a little easier. Time management is a major way to mitigate the dread caused by late-night study sessions and last-minute cramming. Here are a few tips to brave this cold, dark season and prioritise yourself while performing your best.
Recognise that time management comes from managing your focus and energy rather than time itself
You could break your study time into hourly blocks, but I find I get burnt out just thinking about how long I have to study for. I personally trick myself into thinking I just have to study for five minutes, which ends up turning into a productive study session. Oftentimes, starting is the most difficult part of studying, and this trick offers me a way to do so while saving me from the preconceived dread of a study session, which could leave me procrastinating for hours on end. Simple mind tricks like these are ways to hone your energy and focus without experiencing the full dread of starting.
Like most people, I find I work best when I’m well-rested. Overstudying, cramming, or spending late nights finishing papers, no matter how productive I feel, is actually counterintuitive, affecting the quality of my work and my confidence in it. Like physical activity, your brain deserves rest and time to generate new ideas. This is not only self-care, but a vital step in honing your energy and focus to ensure you manage your time in the best way possible. In this way, I believe rest is as crucial as the studying that comes after it.
Treat studying as a destination in your daily routine
Let’s face it, even when I’m sitting with my computer open on the large desk in my accommodation, I get little to no work done. My room has already been mentally reserved for relaxation, pushing studying aside for another time. During exam season, I treat studying as a daily destination, usually in the library or a cafe. Eat a nutritious breakfast, spend time getting ready, and head to a place solely designated for studying. Grabbing a sweet treat or meeting with friends is an extra bonus to stay motivated and keep winter blues away.
Eat the frog
The metaphor of ‘eat the frog,’ coined by Brian Tracy, refers to completing the most daunting task first. By getting your hardest or most dreaded task out of the way, you’re making your brain more used to overcoming challenges. This not only frees up your day for less emotionally taxing tasks, but also builds neural pathways centred around effective habits and productivity.
In conclusion, time management is less about following strict study methods and more about tricking your brain into centring studying and productivity in the least daunting way possible. Studying during exams doesn’t always have to be overwhelming; it can be a built-in part of your daily routine, paired with a fun drink from a cafe. Focus your energy on the methods that work for you – which sometimes entails ‘eating the frog ’- and the habits, discipline, and time management will naturally come, ultimately leaving you with less stress and dread than anticipated.