Alpha College

How to Handle Stress during Exam Season

How to Deal with Stress During Exam Season

Written by: Janna Charlene Torres

Exam season is the most stressful time of the year for any student; intense study sessions, sleepless nights and the overall worry that naturally comes with test-taking situations. However, students need to look after their mental and physical health, so they can do their best during this season.

Here are some tips to help deal with stress during exam season:

Do Not Procrastinate

“I can study another time” or “I have more time this week, I can do it later” are some of the many phrases that students say to themselves to get out of studying. This mentality is the result of procrastination. Procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off a task until the last minute or even after the deadline.

To avoid procrastination, it is important to set a realistic study schedule. Spread out the dates and times but make sure the schedule you set is not too overwhelming. For instance, students can try to study 1 hour per course at least one week before the exam.

Studying with friends can also help with avoiding procrastination.

Having people with the same tasks and goals as you can help with motivation and keep the environment stimulating. You can bounce off topics and ask for help easily from each other. Be wary that friends can cause possible distractions, so make sure the friends you study with are genuinely interested in studying like you.

Take Breaks

Don’t forget to take breaks while studying, especially after long periods. Many say that 5-60 minutes of a break can help with refreshing your mind and maintain your overall energy. Intense study sessions without breaks can cause burnout. Burnout is the mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion state that is caused by prolonged stress over a certain period of time. The feeling of burnout can lead to unmotivation, a decrease in energy and many more.

Here are some effective ways to take a break:

Go for a walk
Power Nap
Talk to Family/Friends
Stretch

Avoid pulling “all-nighters”

We understand that students may feel like they don’t have enough time during the day to review the content, so they revert to pulling an all-nighter. An all-nighter is when an individual does not sleep during the night to work, study or complete a task. Unfortunately, many ignore the fact that sleep is essential in daily functioning.

According to News in Health (NIH), Sleep improves your brain performance, mood and overall health. Sleep can help in the way an individual retains information as sleep is believed to help in the consolidation of memory. Consolidation is the neuropsychological process by which the brain turns short-term memory into long-term memories.

Eat Regularly

Eating in a well during exam season can be difficult for some. There are some that either don’t eat enough or over-eat. It is important to regularly eat your meals to maintain concentration, strengthen your attention span and many more! According to Healthline (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/brain-food-for-studying#1.-Berries), here are the top 9 brain foods:

Berries
Citrus fruits
Dark chocolate and cocoa products
Nuts
Eggs
Avocados
Fish
Beets
Red, green or orange vegetables

Conclusion

Exam season can put a toll on a student’s mental and physical health, but students should take the initiative to look after themselves. Students should be in their best shape during exam season to be at their peak performance and ace those exams! Good Luck!