Countdown
Hey loves!
My peers and I have two weeks of exams left! I wrote my mathematics exam this week and I will write my other five exams in the next two weeks. It is sort of nerve-wracking to think about it but I am also excited to put everything I learned in the past two years to use.
I am incredibly grateful for all the support I received my friends and family over the past weeks while I was preparing for my exams. One person who was especially supportive for me is celebrating her birthday today - my aunt! She helped me a lot by taking care of many of the documents I had to fill out for my university financial aid applications and by simply always being there for me.
Quite a few of you guys asked me for some advice for dealing with stress during the exam season and here are my top five tips:
ONE: READING INSTEAD OF TV
When taking a break from studying, read a book or an article instead of watching videos. Videos keep you less focused than a text. Reading allows you to come back to your revision with a focused mind. You can also use the time to read an article in a foreign language that you are studying. This allows you to revise for another subject while taking your little break.
TWO: SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP
Revising might be the only thing on your mind, but sleeping is very important. If you have a hard time deciding when you should go to bed, set an alarm to remind yourself that it is time to go to bed. Aim for around eight hours of sleep to ensure that you can do your best in your exams.
THREE: LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
Take some time to hang out with your friends and family to ensure that you stay in a good mood. Personally, I love going to the canteen for an hour and talking to my friends. The benefit of going to the canteen for this is that your time is restricted since the canteen is closing at some point. Make sure that you do not drift off with your friends and lose too much time.
FOUR: LISTS KEEP YOU ORGANISED
Write a list of all the things you have to do in the morning to help you get an overview of all the things you have to do. Lists can motivate you to get work done because it is truly satisfying to tick things off your list. You can also create your lists electronically with an app like Wunderlist but make sure that you only use your electronic devices for the list and not for anything else. Ask yourself honestly whether it is easy for you to drift off and if so, go with a piece of paper instead of your electronic devices.
FIVE: WATER
You probably heard this a lot, but it really is essential. Stay hydrated to avoid headaches and to allows yourself to be focused when revising. I am someone who easily forgets to drink enough water and it has helped me to write down how many bottles of water I want to drink in a day and to then tick off bottle after bottle.
As always, if you guys have any questions for me or have topic suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Good luck to all of you who are currently taking their exams!
Lots of Love,
Elena
The photo for this article was taken by Ho Jun Bin. You can find more of his work on his website.
