In general, I would say I can be quite an anxious person so, every time it gets closer to coursework being due, or an important exam, I always tend to get stressed about it. I think it is completely normal to be stressed and anxious around exam time however, when this happens, it is important to recognise it and try and tackle it. Over time I have learnt what helps me or calms me down which in this article, I will be discussing in the hope that I can pass my wisdom onto those who are perhaps struggling and need help!
Planning in advance:
One thing I think can be really helpful is planning in advance. This tends to help me as it’s a good way of micro-managing your time. If you have things due at a similar time, allocating specific times for different modules can be a game changer.
If you learn to plan in advance, it means you can still make other arrangements whilst staying on top of your work. Don’t leave it until the last minute and end up working through the night. This is also an amazing way of incorporating breaks into your revision time so you do not end up burning yourself out.
It also helps massively improve your time management skills – something which you will need in later life too! This means that you can have a whole day free, if you plan what days you are going to put aside for mostly work, and what days you will put aside to relax, and not think about what you have due.
Talk to your friends about it:
Most of the time your friends will be going through the same as you. This means that when you talk to friends, it might be a way you can both talk about it and help each other out. It’s important to talk about the way you feel at these times and be open about what is stressing you out. Your friends might be able to give you advice about what helps them too.
If it’s someone from your course who does similar modules to you, it might also be an opportunity for you to both help each other, you could both discuss each other’s ideas for essay’s and think about points you had never thought about before.
When talking to each other, you could even arrange a study date together, which would enable you both to be productive without feeling completely alone!
Taking a break:
One of the most important things to do is take a break from work, especially when you’re stressing whilst doing as it severely limits productivity. As someone who is studying for their English degree, I know sometimes if I am doing an English essay which is not going to plan, a lot of the time it’s best for me to go and have a snack and then come back to my work once I have calmed down.
Some easy options which you can do for a break is to:
Go and talk to your housemates – They might be equally as stressed! So, talking to them, maybe cooking food together, or just sitting and chatting may help calm you down massively.
Watch a little bit of your new favourite show – Whether it’s action, or something chill like a reality TV show, watching a show is a nice distraction. Recently, when I have needed a break I have been watching Love Island Games, which may be slightly rubbish, but is also a super chill and fun distraction to turn to!
Read a book you are enjoying – You can set yourself a number of pages to read!
Plan something after it’s due:
Once you have done the exam, or finished the coursework, you can arrange something fun to do afterwards. Sometimes, it can be really hard to stop wondering how you did, or to think about mistakes you may have made so I always like to arrange something to do afterwards for fun to take my mind off it. For example, in first year when my friends and I had our first taste of university exams, we went to the Bistro 66, in Beeston. I hugely recommend doing something like this, and the Bistro food is yummy, which is a bonus!
Whatever you fancy doing, whether it’s just having a chill night in with snacks and movies, or going out for some drinks, I think you should always have something to look forward to once all the exams and coursework is over.