How to: get through exam season!

 

I'm naturally a very panicky person and exam season always seems to bring out the worst in me. Sweaty palms and sleepless nights become part of my day to day routine and let me tell you, it's not fun!

If you're anything like me and suffer from anxiety, you've probably searched high and low for tips on how to get through these dreaded few weeks. Well, look no further 'cause I've compiled a massive list of all the little things that seem to do the trick for me.

1. Drink a lot of water.

Hydration is key while studying, ladies and gentlemen. Your brain needs the extra fluid to keep running smoothly, plus it'll keep you more awake during long study sessions. Small downside, you will have to get up to pee quite often, but trust me, after hours of studying it'll be nice to stretch your legs for a bit. Even if it's only on your way to the bathroom!

2. Take breaks.

Only taking breaks to go pee simply doesn't cut it during hours of cramming. You need to give your brain a chance to rest every once in awhile or it won't take in anymore information. Aka you'll go mad. We've all been there, don't lie. You've procrastinated for days and now you need to learn two full books on budget management in one sitting and after about three hours of non-stop studying you're ready to rip the hair out of your scalp.

Obviously, you shouldn't do that. Instead, you should get off your butt and do something else for the next couple of minutes.

3. Make summaries ahead of time.

If my teacher gives us reading to do over the upcoming week, I always do it. And not only that, I immediately summarize what I've just read. This way when exam week comes up, I already have a neat pile of chapter summaries, making it way easier for me to study the material! Last year (I'm in my second year of college), I didn't do this. I just read what the teacher told me to read and then when I wanted to start studying I would summarize the material. Basically, I never had enough time to summarize everything and I would start to majorly panic because I was so scared I would leave important stuff out. Rid yourself of this particular bad habit and just start summarizing a few weeks in advance. This way you'll be nice and prepared when those horrifying weeks actually get to you.

4. Enough is enough.

I know you want to get a good grade and I know it will never feel like you've studied enough, but trust me when I say: enough is enough. At some point, you have to tell yourself: I've done all I could and now I have to wait and see what happens. You need to put that book down, close your laptop and just go to sleep. Pulling all nighters is soooo bad for you. Your brain actually will be exhausted and you won't remember any of the information you'd been cramming all night. Instead, try to sleep as many hours as you possibly can. Even if it's just four hours, you'll at least be able to keep your eyes open while taking the test. It'll be worth it in the end!

Do you have any tips on how to overcome the stress? Leave them in the comments below!