How to Survive Exam Season

The deadline looms; that fateful date that’s been in your calendar from the very beginning but you’ve successfully ignored until now. It’s got to that point, where no matter how much you pretend you won’t have to sit through three hours in the sports hall counting tiles; it’s time to face the facts (literally) and plough through the lectures you said you’d “catch up on” all year. Have no fear, Her Campus is here to guide you through the turbulent times ahead.

1) The library

Get down there early to get a desk. If you’re easily distracted then avoid sitting near friends (you can always use distracting them as a revision break…) Don’t be THAT PERSON who moves someone’s belongings from a desk. I know it’s annoying when a laptop has been there for hoouuuurrrrssss and there’s not a soul in sight, but think how livid you’d be if someone touched your stuff. Stress levels are at their peak at this time of year, you don’t know what could kick off…

If you’re lucky enough to have the night time experience of the library then use of the wheely chairs for recreational purposes is highly recommended. Perhaps once you’ve reached this point though, it’s time for bed – also be warned when you start to refer to yourself as one of ‘the library crew’.

2) Snacks are essential

I find that sugar-free redbull and grapes will see me through nicely. When choosing a library snack go for something that will last a while, you can eat one-handed/ whilst not paying attention, and is most importantly QUIET. Rustling crisp packets and crunching biscuits are not ideal. You’ve probably been told countless times as well, but it is even more important to try and remain healthy around exam time as your brain needs nutrients to function. It can seem tempting to chow down on whatever sweets or chocolates you can get your hands on to relieve stress, but these foods will send your blood sugar sky-rocketing and the low you experience afterwards will be even less condusive to study. Moreover, a large amount of fatty and processed foods as well as the wrong type of carbs will only make you depressed. Its best to snack regularly on something small to keep you going. Try things like nuts, raisins and fruit (exciting I know!) Alternatively you can turn to liquids to keep you distracted from the mountain of work you face. Diet coke or coffee is always a good shout, smoothies will also fill you up and give you a vitamin boost.

3) Structure your day

With a seemingly endless pile of revision or coursework ahead of you it is easy to simply see the days stretch ahead in one enormous mass until the exam. If you plan what you’re going to do, or set yourself mini targets to achieve day-by-day, then you’ll find that you manage to cover everything. This also breaks down work into manageable chunks.

Set your alarm and GET OUT OF BED. It’s so easy to press snooze when the alarm goes off at 9am and end up wasting half the day in bed. Plan to meet a friend (who ISN’T a housemate) for breakfast, or a gym sesh to start the day. This way you can’t laze around for ages as you’ll be letting someone else down. Plan when you’ll have lunch/coffee breaks/dinner, then you’ve always got something to work towards or look forward to.

4) Procrastinate

Gym/cleaning/painting nails. Get it all out of your system. Or use these things as revision breaks. The fact of the matter is that however long you don’t do what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re only damaging your own chances of doing well (no matter how much fun taking pictures of sleeping students is…) If you think that you can spend a 2:6 hour work:Facebook ratio and still get a 2:1 then that’s up to you! Only you know how much work you need to do. (I am currently writing this with an exam in 2 days which I haven’t started revising for, I could find watching paint-dry interesting if it meant work avoidance, but I only have myself to blame if I fail!) It’s about self-control and if you lack it (ahem) then that’s simply something you’ll have to deal with at university.

5) Exercise

Just get on with it. Simple really. Get your heart pumping and some oxygen to you brain, focus on something outside of work for 40 mins or so to stop yourself from going mad in the library.

And FINALLY…

6) Plan a treat

Know exactly how you’re going to celebrate once it’s all over! Whether that be a meal with your housemates, a night in with the bf or a night out with everyone else, maybe even book a massage or haircut. Just make sure you reward yourself for all that hard work!
 
So here you are, stick to these and you may even emerge unscathed with sanity intact and your place at uni open next year. Bonne chance amigos! Over and out.