Staying Mentally and Physically Ready for Exam Season

 

As exam season rolls in, many of us will start stressing about how we'll perform. With the colder months surrounding us all, the urge is to just curl up under a blanket and enjoy the quiet, relaxing evenings instead of concentrating on work.

 

Though relaxing is extremely important, particularly this year with all of its' craziness, it’s good to also balance this with revising and prepping for what's ahead. As exam season is approaching, the worst thing you could do is enter in feeling extremely unprepared and lacking confidence.

 

Here are some of the things you can try to help prep for your exams in the new year.

 

Eating Well, Drinking Water and Staying Healthy

 

As often as we hear this, it still rings true. Everything we put into our bodies has a direct impact on our brain, affecting our concentration and motivation levels. Balancing wholesome eating with more relaxed eating can help fuel your body to revise, while also keeping the stress and frustration levels down.

 

Wholesome eating is particularly important for the days leading up to an exam. This will ensure you feel bright and ready to succeed. Try incorporating whole grains into your diet. These will provide you with energy that lasts longer than white grains which tend to have more sugar. Adding other foods like blueberries, broccoli, nuts, seeds and leafy greens will also give you more energy and brainpower.

 

Another tip is to keep drinking water. Staying hydrated is an amazing way to keep your focus and help with unhelpful cravings. Particularly now that many of us are working from home, it can be easier to indulge our afternoon snacking. Drinking plenty of water can help not only with these cravings but also with keeping your body chemistry working smoothly. 

 

Making A Plan and Sticking to It

 

For many of us, the initial planning stage can seem like the most difficult task to start. But the reality is until we start, our brain will remain scrambled and scattered. Planning your weeks is a good way to get all of your ideas, dates, timings and other bits out of your head and written down.

 

Try to make your schedules and planners fun and inspiring. You could try different stationery, using colour or highlighters or even including pictures. Planning out your revising days, particularly during the holiday period, can be helpful to balance relaxing and working.

 

This could also help you to mentally make the most of your ‘days off’. Another idea is to work most days for shorter periods of time. Try experimenting with different schedules until you find one that helps you stay inspired, motivated but still relaxed.

 

Don’t Go To Bed Too Early Before an Exam

 

As strange as this may sound, it’s a good idea to keep a balanced sleep schedule, which means not going to bed too early or too late. At times, when we try to go to bed significantly earlier than usual, we can spend a long period of time simply struggling to fall asleep. This can then create more stress leading you to have worse sleep.

 

It can be more helpful to start going to bed slightly earlier the weeks prior to the exam, to train your body to fall asleep earlier. You can also try reading or doing something that will relax you before bed, which does not involve digital screens. This should help your mind and body unwind and you are more likely to get a good amount of sleep.

 

Staying Fresh and Separating Yourself from Your Work

 

It is quite common for students to be doing large amounts of cramming the night before the exam. Though life is busy and time can get away from us, it’s a good idea to do as little studying as possible the day before an exam. In fact, by cramming the day and night before your exam you are more likely to give your mind and body extra stress, resulting in you forgetting crucial information the next day.

 

You could try creating flashcards to review the day before exams. This could help remind your brain of the information you have been gathering during your revision sessions and keep your anxiety levels down.  

 

De-stress as much as possible the day before. Whether that’s seeing friends, watching a film, listening to music or reading your favourite book, by focusing our brains on something separate to work, you are more likely to feel mentally refreshed the day of the exams.

 

Don’t Give Yourself Extra Stress

It’s common for students to put extreme amounts of stress and pressure on themselves regarding their studies. Though this may sound cliché, the truth is that you can only do your best. Many of us study and work as hard as we can but still beat ourselves up if the results are not what we needed or expected. Just remember, we tend to be much harder on ourselves than on anyone else around us, so keep moving forward.

 

In order to help maintain your mental health and keep stress levels down, make sure you don't leave important things until the last minute. By getting ahead and finding accommodation for 2021, you can reduce your workload and focus on the things that matter. At Unihousing we offer a variety of student accommodation options to satisfy your needs. We are here to help you find what you are looking for, whether that's solo or shared living. To see the properties we offer, visit our website or contact our team today.