First-term finals are upon us. It’s also my first time facing exams at the post-secondary level. Saying it’s a stressful time feels like an understatement. Every community space I enter — dining halls, common rooms, libraries — exudes an air of collective anxiety. I’ll admit, I’ve started contributing to it too. Like others, I’ve been compiling my notes, trying to throw together study-guides, obsessively visiting final grade calculators…Â
Although this stress provides an arguably necessary sense of urgency, it can quickly become detrimental to your well-being if it’s not handled with care! Here are five ways I’m handling stress, and subsequently, surviving finals this term.Â
1. Connecting With Friends
It’s really easy to get lost in your lock-ins, and consequently, isolate yourself. You don’t want to do that. It feels trickier to avoid that here, because personally, I am far from home. When I was in high school, I had my family in closer proximity to me. I could study at the dining table, or in my room — and I’d still have company to turn to when I needed to unwind. That’s not something I can do as easily now.Â
To avoid isolating myself while studying, I try to find time in my day to spend time with my friends. I know this is kind of a given, but it is important for your well-being. Whether it is studying alongside them, or sharing meals, making the effort to see my friends motivates me, and will likely work for you too.
2. Setting realistic Goals
We’ve all heard it. We also don’t realize how important it actually is. To address my… questionable time management habits in high school, I started carrying a physical agenda around with me. This might sound dramatic, but doing this was genuinely life changing. I would write down things I wanted to accomplish for the day, and check off what I got done, and what I have to do tomorrow. Checking these goals off is not only gratifying, but also will serve as a marker for my growth during my first ever exam season in university.Â
 I am also trying to assess what I can realistically handle. My first mistake was trying to pile on too many tasks at once. I realized very quickly, for example, that spending a night trying to rush through two sixty page readings for very different courses was going to end up being a disaster. It’s so important to pace yourself.
3. Finding the Right Ways to Study
It has been difficult for me to find the “right” way to study. I’d try to find answers on social media and ask how I should work without breaking focus. Not only did I realize that it entirely depends on the subject, but I also realized that everyone is different. Personally, I work best playing my favourite Animal Crossing: New Horizons soundtracks as I study. In terms of method, I realized that I take in more information through blurting. For my more content heavy subjects, I jot down everything I remember best, and then review my notes after. Then I simply keep adding, and it sticks! Â
4. Â Taking Breaks; Revisiting Hobbies
Like I said earlier, it’s really easy to get lost in your lock-in’s. This is, again, a given, but tapping into hobbies is keeping me sane. Just by dedicating time to my creative hobbies, I manage to combat the stress that would have otherwise consumed me.Â
Realistically, you can’t spend your entire day studying. It’s important to set a consistent pace, while also squeezing some time for yourself into your daily agenda. We all have this weird tendency to almost glamourize the concept of overworking ourselves. Through that, we forget how important taking breaks truly are! By reminding myself that it is okay and so necessary to step back, I not only survive this finals season, but also thrive!Â
5. Self Care!
While this ties into the last point about taking breaks, self-care in other ways is so important. I used to be the type to stay up until ungodly hours cramming. Although these efforts paid off academically, it was not at all healthy! I was paying the price in other ways. That is to say, getting enough sleep matters. I find that if I get less than seven hours of sleep, I can’t function.Â
With that in mind, it’s also important to eat. Our brains need the fuel, and we can’t neglect that, seeing as we are running it through the wringer trying to retain information. By keeping my eating habits in check, I’m bringing in a clear mind to both my study sessions, and my finals themselves!