The dreadful exam season is back! At least for Delhi University’s or DU’s first-year students, as we went through a lot last year – dealing with unsystematic Board examinations, taking an entrance exam that was instituted for the first time in the country; completely unexpected and abrupt, having high school results delayed, and finally sailing through the nerve-racking process of being assigned to our preferred colleges! Dealing with all of this while also juggling the day-to-day challenges of being a college student becomes extremely difficult. One knows the drill.
So here are my tips to deal with the incoming exam season and how to make it work!
Find your time of efficiency and comfortable space
One of the major challenges while dealing with a prolonged study period is to find when and where you can be most productive. Some of us can perform light-brained tasks at night and deep-thinking tasks in the morning as the sun peeks. On the other hand, many, like me, prefer to stay up until 2 am to do their statistics exercises and snooze throughout the daytime. Apart from this, try to find out ‘where’ you can study efficiently: is it your desk, the neighbourhood cafe or your balcony? Whatever it is, make sure it’s compatible with your workflow so that you can work in peace (that includes no barking dogs or dramatic phone calls from your roommate).
It may also be useful to find out what subjects you can study at what time; let’s say that it can be math in the morning, AEC in the late evening, and then a revision of some of your elective courses in the afternoon.
Listen to good music and have good food
Music helps put a person in a much better mood when the study material gets too monotonous. It is always nice to have something to hold on to and vibe along with while also maintaining our concentration level. Food is another important factor in maintaining our nutrition and energy levels (I say while stuffing rice puffs into my mouth). After all, we can’t be night owls with an empty stomach, can we?
Taking mindful breaks
We’re well-versed in the importance of taking breaks to maintain our productivity and refreshment levels because, beyond a certain level, the human body also reaches saturation. I provide you with an additional yet practical perspective on this discourse. Here, we are talking about well-planned and intentional breaks. These sorts of breaks mean *intentionally* taking some time off and winding down with some yoga or showering.
Remember to take naps. As productive as we night owls can be, it is critical that we keep track of our sleep schedules. A minimum of 7-8 hours is usually good for most people, though it can go a bit more or less than that. Sleep is necessary to not only feel rejuvenated but also to retain our memory and facilitate the learning of new concepts. It also helps to make sure that our productive sessions transform into responsive memories, and that alone makes it one of the most important aspects of exams.
Having cheerleaders
Another useful exercise can be to call up and talk to one’s family and friends. This is essential to realizing the world outside of academics when our books and PPTs have started to feel monotonous. And these friends and family could also help to make you feel a bit better about your progress while they cheer you up!
staying optimistic AND calm
After all the days of preparation and exhaustion, you finally reach D-day. Remember to go in with a calm and steady mind. We are all going through this together, so keep in mind your boundaries and try not to cross them. Congratulate yourself on your efforts and reward yourself as these days go by!
These were my six tips to help you through the exam season. I hope you found these useful in making your preparation process relatively smooth. Try to stress a little less and smile a little more, ‘cause you’re going to sail through it amazingly.