Surviving Study Season


Study season is upon us, and due to popular demand, I'm back with another edition of the Sadhbher's Exam Survival Guide. Apologies in advance for the Monday-est of blog posts ever there was, and to those of you reading this, I hope these tips might help you as you approach your exams. Although I'm definitely no expert, and I'm usually super stressed out at this time of the year, I'd like to think I've learnt a thing or two (or five) about how to best utilise my time during study week and before my exams. 


1. Make a plan

Before I start studying, I take about 15 minutes to sit down and draft a timetable. When you only have a little bit of time to learn 12 weeks worth of content, timetabling your study makes sure that you don't get too carried away with some modules, and each subject gets an appropriate amount of time relative to how long it will take you to learn content.

Usually I allocate 2 hour slots to my subjects, but this might be different for you. For every 45 minutes to an hour that I study, I take a five minute break. Whether that's spent scrolling through Instagram or going for a walk, it definitely helps. Every 2/3 hours, I take a longer study break for about 15 minutes, and of course I make time for lunch and dinner during the day.  For me, a study day might look something like this:



2. Take frequent breaks

If you're in cramming mode, then taking a study break isn't always easy. It's important to remember that in order to be productive, your body needs to take breaks. If you feel like you can't justify getting up every hour or so, try staying extra hydrated so that going to the loo gets you up off your seat every now and again!

Try timetabling regular breaks into your daily study plan to make sure that you take time off to let your mind relax.


3. Bring snacks and eat 3 meals a day

If you're heading to the library for the day, make sure your have enough food to keep you going when you need it the most. For me, studying on an empty stomach is as good as not studying at all, and even if you feel like you don't have time to eat, try to have 3 balanced meals a day. 

If you're looking for something quiet to snack on in the library, try bringing grapes or a banana. If you think eating is disrupting other people studying, leave for a few minutes while you're eating. 


4. Do something you enjoy

Whether it's going for a coffee with one of your friends, or watching something good on Netflix, try to do something you enjoy during the week. Life is too short to spend the entire day worrying about exams, so even if it's just 30 minutes, take time out for yourself.


5. Surround yourself with people that care (and ditch everyone else)

It's hard to stay positive and focused during study week/season, but having a strong network of friends and family really helps. Try to spend time with people that care, and avoid anyone you think might be adding stress to an already stressful enough time. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed, talk to someone about it. Whether that's a friend, a family member, a lecturer or a college counsellor, a problem shared is always a problem halved. 

Happy studying,

1 comment

  1. Nice post! This tips are great especially for Study Week, I found the week in general fine. I scheduled my day so I got everything that I needed to get done done and had time to relax and do what I wanted.
    Róisín
    totallyro.blogspot.ie

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