Its exam season. and however daunting that may seem, I, like many other humans from aged 7 (seriously though, SATs are completely ridiculous, no wonder so many children have mental health problems) have exams this month. At the age of 21 and in my penultimate year of university, I'm coming to the last three exams I may ever have to do in my life. (I say might because you never know what's round the corner). I feel like since having exams at the age of 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20, I've finally mastered the appropriate revision technique to memorize and learn everything whilst maintaining my health so that I don't go completely crazy. So here's my advice:
Pace Yourself.
I know some people are more productive under pressure, but as a sufferer of anxiety, I'm not one of those people. I always start my revision super early so that I know I absolutely have enough time to cover everything, whilst still being able to cook, do laundry and watch Friends. Its a good idea to make some sort of revision timetable, particularly if you have several exams to juggle the revision for!
Make it Colourful.
You may have heard of colouring books for adults as a way to de-stress, so why not apply that to things you actually need to do? I like to colour-code my notes in modules/topics which I find helps. As an artistic and creative person, I actually love creating art from my colourful revision notes. So grab your highlighters and colourful pens and engage that part of your brain associated with relaxation.
Eat Properly.
Okay okay so I'm a bit of a hypocrite with this one, but eating is good. The amount of calories you're burning from working your brain and arm from writing is ridiculous, hence the hunger. I'm really bad and eat so unhealthily during exam time, I basically live off chocolate, snacks and takeaway. But have fruit and veg if you can. Also, when you eat, actually take a proper break to do it, when you go back to working you'll feel more refreshed than if you sit eating in front of your work.
Exercise.
This can be anything from going to the gym to just having a walk or run around the block. I'm the type of person who's body gets really restless when I've been sitting still studying all day, its like I'm full of tension and just need a release. So I go for a walk, do some yoga or even just workout in my bedroom for half an hour. Every little helps.
Take Regular Breaks.
Set yourself small goals and after achieving one, have a break. For example 'after I've written the notes for this lecture I will have a cup of tea and watch an episode of my favourite show'. Mindfulness is also a fantastic way to unwind, to free your mind of all the clutter that has accumulated. See my blog post relating to that by Clicking here.
And Finally... SLEEP
Make sure you have a regular routine. During your exam season, get up at the same time every morning and go to bed at the same time every night, make sure you get your eight hours! But also, make sure that you don't get a shock when you wake up early for a morning exam and your body clock is out of sync.
I really hope these tips are helpful to some people! But remember, everyone works differently so if they don't work for you, its not the be all and end all, this is just my way to get my revision done without stressing too much.
Thank you for reading,
Peace and Love xoLabels: Mental Health, Student Life
