Exam Stress

Posted 101 Months Ago

"How do I feel? Empty? Check. Scared? Check. Alone. Check. Just another ordinary day."

- Mark Corrigan

It's that time of the year, the dreaded exam season! 

Exams can suck, we know. They can be stressful experiences but there's lots of support available and steps that you can take to ease the pressure. 

Here are some top tips to help you power through your exams. Remember, you're all at university for a reason, so you can do this!

1. First of a little bit of stress is perfectly natural and helps to motivate us to knuckle down and hit the library. It's important you keep your stress levels under control so that it doesn't become a problem though.

2. Sleep well - make sure you wind down before bed and don't revise in bed. Your bed should be a sanctuary, not a desk. Get your 8 hours! If you've got an exam the next day then stop revising an hour or so before bed and wind down with a good book, your favourite Netflix show or a nice warm bath. And put your phone away!

3. Have an exam day plan - make sure you know where you're going and what seat number you're in. You can check out your number here. If you've got a 9am exam then make sure your alarm is set nice and early and that you know how you're getting to uni bearing in mind the rush hour traffic. Lay out your clothes and make sure you've got all the equipment you need packed (including your student ID card) and ready to go. Bring some revision notes to have a final glance over if you like for the journey in.

4. Eat right - Whilst it's tempting to binge on chocolate and crisps, try and eat well and have lots of fruit & vegetables to fuel your body. Don't skip breakfast, especially if you've got a 9am exam!

5. Quit the bad habits - Smoking & alcohol won't do your revision any good and won't help to de-stress you long term. Also, hangovers + revision don't work well!

6. Avoid comparing with your mates - Discussing with your friends about how revision is going is good but don't let it become a competition. If your mate produce endless mind maps and pages of notes and you don't have any - don't freak. Everybody approaches revision in different ways and you should do what is the best approach for you. Ditto after the exam, avoid a post-morterm as it's likely to stress you out. Everybody has different approaches to exams and every exam situation is different. Once the exam is done, it's done! So put it to the back of your mind and celebrate!

7. Get some exercise - Being a sloth makes our minds sloppy too. So try and build in some physical exercise to your revision schedule, even if that's just a quick 30 minute run in the morning or a group exercise class. 

8. "What if I draw a blank in an exam?" A lot of students worry about this. The reality is you won't forget everything you've ever learned. Just take a minute to breathe & think and things will start to come back to you. If you're struggling, move onto the next question and come back to it. 

9. Panicking in an exam? Sit back for a moment and control your breathing. Deep breathe in and out through the nose, counting to five each way.

10. Recognise when exam stress is a problem - If you're experiencing difficulty in getting to sleep, constant tiredness, poor appetite, increased anxiety, headaches, blurred vision or dizziness then your exam stress might be getting a bit much. Know when it's time to take a break and chill out for a bit. Do take breaks and talk with friends or family.

11. And remember....the sun will still rise after an exam. They are only exams and there is a life beyond them!

Good luck from everybody at the Student Union with your revision!

The Student Union's Advice Hub are here to help if you have exam stress worries.
E-mail advice.hub@hw.ac.uk if you want to book an appointment or drop in 12.30-4pm. 

There are also exam stress drop in sessions being run by Student Support (The University) in their office (Hugh Nisbet Building) between the 5th to 16th December 1400 – 1500. There's no need to book - just pop along.