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Coping with Exam Stress

We know many of you will be feeling the pressure and stress of exams. This manifests in different ways in different people. Some of you may be feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of examinations or by a particular subject and rather than dealing with it face on, are avoiding it altogether by procrastinating.

Procrastination can be difficult to identify. But maybe some of you relate to the following. You may be spending longer than needed organising your stationery for revision, you might be writing extremely detailed and artistic revision timetables or you may keep revising something that you are already confident with as it makes you feel confident and distracts you from tackling the complex stuff. Others, may decide to avoid any organisation at all and just watch Netflix, convincing yourself that you deserve the break.

There are, however, much more productive ways to deal with stress, to overcome procrastination and ensure that you achieve your best.

In this article, we share some tips gathered from our Old MillHillians which have helped them survive the exam season:

Exercise: it is essential to schedule some exercise into your revision timetable, even if it seems like a waste of precious time that could be used for much more important things (or so you believe). In the long term, it is not only good for your physical health but it also helps your brain to focus and absorb more information, helps combat stress and improves sleep at night.

Keeping a good diet: It is quite common to have an increased appetite when studying for exams, so rather than binging on only one type of food, maintain a balanced diet so the brain is being supplied with the necessary nutrients that are needed to absorb a significant amount of information.

Routines or timetables: In order to make the most out of your revision time, routines and timetables are highly recommended to those that may be lacking motivation or may be feeling overcome with stress. Routines and timetables help provide structure to the endless hours of revision. It also helps to set yourself a target for each day so that you can feel that you have accomplished something by the end of the day.

Reward yourself: Sometimes it is important to just break the infinite cycle of revision and take some time off to relax after all the hard work you’ve done. Whether it’s going out with friends for a couple of hours, chilling with the family, watching your favourite show for a couple of hours – you should give yourself some time to let off some steam!

EXAMS ARE NOT THE END OF THE WORLD: Although they may seem like your whole life at the time, exams are only a small part of the whole. Regardless of the outcome there are so many more important things that life has to offer and loads of exciting experiences to be had. Don’t forget – there are numerous amounts of people who have become incredibly successful without getting 100% in every exam.