Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Queen's U chapter.

As we approach the end of the semester, here are a few things to remember:

  1. We are not defined by our grades.

  2. It is important to pay attention and take good care of ourselves.

  3. Breaks are necessary (despite how much work is left to be done).

  4. This too shall pass.

It is easy to struggle while approaching finals season, and each of us struggles in our own way: emotionally, mentally, physically, or socially. We realize at this point in the semester that all those times we chose to go out on a Tuesday night (MOD Club – woo!!) could have been spent succinctly summarizing our notes so that we would be better geared for final exams.

University is not easy, and this time of the year is one of the especially difficult times. With low energy and little to no fuel left, it is important to push past all this. Despite any regrets we may have at this point in the semester, we must leave them behind and surge forward. There is a Japanese saying that goes, “Nana korobi ya oki.” This directly translates to, “Seven falls, eight getting up.” This quote speaks to the trait that all students must embody: resiliency. This term addresses an individual’s ability to overcome adversity and to continue on with their journey. While we may feel discouraged, it is necessary to keep moving forward.

Photo by Pexels

Moving into exam season, motivate yourself to stay afloat. The end is near and before you know it, finals season will be a story of the past and your only concern will be which ice cream flavour to choose. To get yourself through the next month, here are a few tips to keep your morale up:

  1. Schedule time to visit the gym, possibly twice a week!

  2. Make plans to meet up with your friends on campus to study together.

  3. Change up your study locations – visit downtown Kingston and try studying at Crave or Balzac’s.

  4. Make a realistic to-do list every morning and at the end of the day, assess how much you’ve achieved that day.

  5. Find yourself a creative outlet – whether that’s song-writing, painting, or making collages – a way to help release some pent-up stress.

Shaarini Ravitharan

Queen's U '20

Shaarini is a writer for Her Campus at Queen’s U. She is third-year Life Science student at Queen’s University. She enjoys watching horror movies in theatres, a warm cup of coffee, and spending quality time with her friends.