How to Cope with Your Exam Stress by Ashley Bolliger

 With the exam season quickly approaching it is easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out about school.

Trust me, I understand what this feels like too. I am second year university student, striving to accomplish my goals to the best of my ability. But, ever since COVID hit, online school has become that much more busy and more hectic than ever before. But, no matter how stressful life can get with completing assignments and studying for exams, there are always ways to cope with stress levels and for me personally, that have helped me throughout these difficult times.

I am going to share with you some of the coping mechanisms that have helped me conquer the exam season like a pro! Hopefully you can find these tips helpful too!

Tip #1 – Take a break from the computer screen, and books.

For many of us, the days seem to fly by so quick that we actually start to lose track of time. We always like to be productive in our day, to try and accomplish all these tasks even when we may feel tired. But, instead of trying to be productive when we may not feel the greatest, is not very effective. It is best to leave the screen and take a break that is meaningful to your body and mind. On a personal note, I always like to leave my house and go for a 30 minute to 1 hour walk to get some fresh air and enjoy the beautiful forestry areas around my house. Not only is the walk stress relieving but it gives me the opportunity to schedule daily walks in my day. Implementing small breaks into your schedule can help you become a more effective time manager even within your busy online schedule.

Tip #2 – Partake in activities that relieve your stress levels.

It is easy to feel isolated in this online school environment, and we often forget that there are multiple mechanisms that can reduce stress levels. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy taking some time to play the ukulele with my twin sister as well as with other university students. Every week we gather to jam out and sing along to some of the most popular ukulele songs that are so much fun to play! Being part of this club, has truly made this school year more fun than I had ever anticipated, as I am able to interact with others. In addition, being able to take a break from school and partake in playing an instrument also has positive effects on the brain. Overall, we can all find some activity that can help make us feel better, interact with others, which will evidently provide us with the motivation we need to conquer academic goals.

Tip #3 – Stress Less in general, You are only HUMAN

My final tip is related to how we should all approach life when it comes down to academics. We spend so much time thinking and stressing about finals, but in the end of it all, we are only able to place our best foot forward and try our best. If we think about this when we approach studying and accomplishing exams, this can truly levitate stress levels. Evidently, if you enter the exam with a positive, motivating, confident mind set you will do better on the exam, and you will thank yourself later!

I hope these healthy tips help you in the coming weeks! They have truly helped me throughout my school life. Take care everyone!

Ashley B.

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