Exam season is here and it is absolutely dreaded by most students. I totally get why, there is a lot of pressure to do well and often your entire GPA can be dependent on studying for a short period of time. It’s stressful, but I find that there are a lot more pros that outweigh the cons during this time of the year. Hopefully I can help you see the positive side of exam season to make it a bit more bearable!
1. You get more sleep
Contrary to popular belief, I have found students actually get more sleep during exams than during regular class time. You typically have the option to sleep in, since most of your day is free from classes, other schoolwork and extracurricular activities. I always feel more refreshed and ready to study during the exam season compared to the rest of the semester.
2. You have more time than you think
You have way more time on your hands during exams. This is because students will have five exams or assignments maximum spread out throughout the course of three weeks to complete. Even if you find that your exams are crammed together, you will still have 2 weeks of free time when everything is over. It makes you feel less guilty when binge-watching Netflix.
3. Fun stress relievers
During this time, universities realize that exams can be stressful. There are often different events happening on campus, like de-stress puppies to pet or a cookies and cram session. Since you have more time, it’s a lot of fun to attend these events. You can even create your own stress relievers! With all of the Christmas events set up in uptown Waterloo, the possibilities are endless. I find that I am actually less stressed during exams for this reason.
4. Strengthens friendships
Nothing brings people together more than freaking out over the same final together. If you had an absolutely terrible class, you will probably remember the people who suffered through it with you rather than the actual class content. It truly makes you closer to these people.
5. You don’t have to deal with the gross weather if you don’t want to
Like I mentioned before, you don’t have daily commitments like classes and extracurriculars. This means that you don’t have to brave the cold unless you have an exam. I like having the option of sliding around on the ice to get somewhere only if I need to.
6. It means the holidays are near
I have always associated fall term exams with Christmas, which makes exams more bearable. It’s nice to study with Christmas music on, as a promise to yourself that you can take a long break after all of your hard work. Now it’s part of my holiday routine: I listen to Christmas music and drink a Starbucks holiday drink while studying. It gets you mentally prepared and excited for the upcoming holidays.
I hope that I was able to change your mind about why exam season isn’t actually the worst time of the semester (let’s save that title for midterms), or at least help you appreciate it a little more.