As we all know exam season is slowly creeping upon us. For many, this means a lot of stress and anxiety to follow. 

Exam season is often when there are exams taking place over a short duration of time. Some students also have the pleasure of needing to complete coursework alongside their exams which can be an overload for them. This results in low moods, stress, and anxiety. Many students find that they end up isolating themselves from family and friends as a result of stress overload. This can be caused by too heavy of workload or students feeling too guilty to do anything but their revision. This can further lead to FOMO (Fear of missing out), as some students will not be able to attend social gatherings as they prioritise their studies. 

Luckily for students, there are many ways to cope with exam stress. If you find yourself in a similar position here are a few recommendations from the NHS: 

Ensure that you are eating and drinking well as staying hydrated and practising a balanced diet is vital for your health and can help you do well during the exam period.

Ensure you prioritise and organise your workload to ensure that you have a healthy balance between your study life and your everyday life. 

Ensure that you receive your recommended 7-9 hours of sleep as it improves thinking and concentration, to aid this, students should wind down their screen time an hour before they head to sleep as this ensures a good night's sleep.  

Students should avoid cramming the night before an exam as it will lead to a foggy brain the next morning and more times the students do not retain a lot of the information they attempted to cram. It can also lead to confusion about topics they were already good at. 

Another very underrated means of balancing your exam season is by taking part in physical activities, such as exercise which will boost energy levels, clear the mind, and relieve stress. This can also be done with family and friends to ensure that you are still in touch with your social life.

 

Overall, the main message is to remain calm and try and elevate stress as much as possible as it will allow for a smoother sailing exam season. 

Hopefully, these tips are helpful for those of you who are venturing into exam season very soon.  

Good luck!