Exam season can be a stressful time for students in terms of mental health. With winter break approaching and a large amount of term papers, midterms and final projects being completed right before hand, it can be difficult to maintain the energy and self-care needed to properly prepare for exams. That being said, there are many techniques and resources you can utilize to make the most of final exam season without sacrificing mental health.
Before exams begin, it can be helpful to take some time to arrange a study schedule. One method of doing this is outlining the number of hours you want to study for each course, dividing this by the number of days you have to study, and then breaking down a list of the different materials you need to cover and assigning them to each day. Additionally, a lot of students find it beneficial to keep a blank piece of paper to write down a list of questions to bring into office hours before exams.
When studying, it is very important to set aside time for self-care. Keeping in touch with friends, making time to get enough sleep, eating well, exercising and drinking enough water are all equally as important to success as studying enough prior to the exam. Some small tips to ensure you’re taking good care of yourself during exam season are:
-Schedule in half-hour breaks to prepare healthy meals and snacks
-Keep healthy snacks near your workspace to prevent unhealthy snacking
-Take a five-minute break every half hour or so to stretch, exercise or walk around
-Every few hours, schedule in a half hour break to take a short walk outside, call a friend or watch an episode on Netflix to relax
-Include small rewards to keep yourself motivated
-Plan 7-9 hours of sleep every night to maximize on your memory consolidation. Sleep is extremely important to forming memories and integrating study materials into memory
-If you’re a night owl, try and use that time to study and then sleep in a little later in the morning. If you’re a morning person, try and be productive in the mornings and go to bed earlier. Maximize the time when you’re most productive!
-Plan in an hour a day to relax and dedicate it to an activity you enjoy. Going for a run, reading a book, calling friends and family are all beneficial. Taking time out to do something you enjoy will help keep you relaxed and focused throughout the full exam period
On the day of the exam, make sure you eat a healthy meal and do small things to keep yourself positive and motivated. Listen to a favourite song before your exam, take some time to do some breathing exercises or spend a few minutes participating in an activity that you find relaxing to help put yourself in a healthy mindset. Exams can definitely be a stressful time of year for students, but it is important to remember that you are trying your best and deserve to take care of your physical and mental health as well. Additionally, take advantage of the resources available on campus for students. UBC Counseling provides drop in hours at two locations (Brock Hall and Marine Drive Residence, in student housing services). The wellness centre, located in IKB, provides a variety of academic and mental health resources to aid in study skills, exam planning and general wellness. (http://students.ubc.ca/livewell/services/wellness-centre) AMS Speakeasy, located on the main floor of the Nest, provides a one time, confidential, drop-in peer support session to students and is available mon-fri from 10-4 during exams. (http://www.ams.ubc.ca/services/speakeasy/) Additionally, in IKB the chapman learning commons provides organizational resources, time management assistance, and practical tutoring services to students. (http://learningcommons.ubc.ca). There are many resources available to students to make sure you’re taking care of yourself during an often stressful time. As one of my favourite professors used to say before any exam, “Remember: This, nor any other exam, is not a measure of your worth as a person”. Good luck to everyone and take care of yourself!
Written by Charlotte Aitken
Sources: http://www.psychologicalhealthcare.com.au/blog/exam-time-5-stress-busting-mental-health-tips/
http://www.healthyalberta.com/643.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/roger-covin/5-mental-health-tips-for-students_b_3825699.html