Christmas is over and the exam period, on the other hand, is coming fast and furiously. The first day of the upcoming exam period is officially on Monday 10th of January. Nevertheless, the first exams might be taken even during the last week of the semester. The exam period lasts five weeks and the last day falls on the 13th of February.
It doesn’t matter if it is your first or umpteenth exam period; it might turn into a demanding and stressful time. To handle the exam period calmly and successfully, here are some tips on what to do.
It is a well-known fact that you can’t stay focused all day. You need to rest. But be careful how you spend your breaks. It is much more beneficial for your learning process and mental health to go for a walk, run, or do a meditation than to spend time browsing social media just looking at your screen.
If possible, try to have a free day between your exams. It is usually better to finish the exams a week later but peacefully than to have more exams in one day and to live in permanent stress.
Even though reading notes with a nice cup of coffee and freshly baked cake sounds very tempting, try to have unhealthy meals as your reward food instead of a regular snack. Nuts, dried fruits, cheese, yoghurt, oatmeal and eggs are the ideal meals not only for your stomach but also for your brain.
It is recommended to go easy on sugar and caffeine. You can boost your energy with a cup of green tea and skip coffee and energy drinks. But don’t forget to drink water as well. Staying hydrated is the key to a successful study session.
Connecting with your friends during the exam period is probably the best thing you can do. Revising for a test might get very lonely and frustrating, and cooperating with others can solve it. In addition, you can share your points of view, notes, ask about your doubts and make sense of it together. Explaining a particular problem to your friends is often the best way to get a deep understanding of a subject matter.
It is proven that the best time to go to sleep is before midnight, and the most productive time of the day is in the morning. To have a good quality sleep, it is highly recommended to spend at least one hour before going to bed with a relaxing activity, ideally far away from a screen of your phone, computer or television. However, some people find it much easier to stay productive at night, which is possible as well. However, in this case, it is even more crucial to maintain discipline and go to bed at the same time every day, so your body gets used to the routine and is rested.
These are some general tips that can help you during the exam period. However, always listen to your body in the first place, and don’t let the exams take control of you. Good luck, break a leg and don’t forget that you can do it.
