Hi guys! Just checking in with you so you know I haven't abandoned you before I've hardly begun! It's a really busy time for us students what with exams coming up. I've only got one exam in December this term so while it'll be plain sailing for sorting out what to study and when, the main battle is currently getting all my coursework finished so I can eventually have time to study! I've just submitted an essay for the course I have an exam in but I have 2 more essays and an oral test before I can properly get down to the nitty gritty studying for December.
Because I have so much to do, I am rather stressed! I'm a very optimistic person, and while I know I will get everything finished in time and I'm sure I will pass this exam, right now it feels like I am a long way away from the finish line that is the 9th of December. So! I thought it would be nice to provide you (and my future self) with a wee list to help you when you get stressed. (Looking back on this introduction, the list is short, but the content is impressively long. Happy reading!) While this list will focus around the idea of exams, feel free to have a look even if you don't have any, or aren't at school or university anymore. My aim is to help everyone who visits this page! (And hopefully I can get it all typed and uploaded before my 15% battery runs out!)
Tip number 1: Pray!
'For them that honour me I will honour." 1 Samuel 2v30
The lord is with us all the time! He doesn't abandon us, and we can especially see this when we're having a difficult time. This is when he carries us! Before you sit down to study, or work, or whatever you have to get done, pray for help and strength. God can do all things. I pray before every exam and this helps me to plough on through with anything because I know God is helping me.
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2:Make To Do Lists!
I find these so helpful to put everything you have to do into perspective. Whether you just write a list and tick it off as you go along or, like me, you make elaborate plans of when and how you will accomplish parts of your list with diagrams, dates, colours and sub-To Do sections, do what will help you to keep calm and organised. Just remember to not let your To Do list take over your actual work!
It really helps me to make small goals which build up into bigger goals in the long run. It's much less scary to view a few mini goals rather than look at the big picture and all the work you will have to do to accomplish one thing.
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3: Get in the Zone! (This one's a long one about study technique)
Everyone has a way of studying, or getting a job done, so I can't tell you the best way for how to study because you know what works for you! Whether that's using mind maps, flash cards, colours, chewing gum... anything! Just figure out a way of knucking down to work and that'd the hard part over.
For me, I like to go to the library to study. Lots of people are there which some can be intimidated by, but I thrive on it. There's a kind of pressure to keep quiet and get to work because that's what everyone else is doing and you're going to look silly if you're just sat on your phone mindlessly while they're all studying. I like to listen to music while I study, but I would advise listening to either instrumental music so you can't focus on the words or some music that you don't know. The other day I was listening to some Lauren Daigle because I knew I liked her music but I didn't know the words to the majority of her songs. Christian music can also be incredibly uplifting and helps me through my workload.
I used to write out all my notes again. ALL of them! This took forever! I cannot stress the importance of figuring out, if you can, what topics will be in your exam. Last year I took a Spanish course and I was sure I was going to fail until I had a look at previous exam papers and found that they all had the same pattern of topics and my revision was whittled down in an instant. Revision was still tough as always but it was such a relief to feel that bit more prepared for the exam and I passed!
For memorising a passage, which is what you obviously need to do if you're learning a quote or preparing for a passage that you know you will have to write in the exam, I still write it out in full and speak it out loud until I've got it! When I think I know it well enough I quicken the process by writing the first letter of each word in the passage. So if I was trying to memorise the previous sentence I would just write: W I T I K I W E I Q T P B W T F L O E W I T P. Sometimes words are spelt out by the single letters or associatons and that makes it even easier to remember! Witikiwe counts as a word, right?
I'm all about associating my revision with easy-to-remember words or 'rules' I've made up. I remember, when I took admin in my 3rd and 4th years of High School (I'd have been 16ish), when one writes a letter, you cannot write 'Dear Sir' and at the same time finish with 'sincerely.' The two 'S's weren't allowed in the same letter and I remembered this by 'Sarah and Susanna don't like each other.' A bit harsh on myself and my twin, but I still remember it to this day and it helped a few others too so I call that a win!
Lastly, routine is important! People say you should get a good amount of sleep (which I touch on down below) but they always seem to stress that you should get up early and go to bed at a decent time. If this works for you then go for it! I, however, really struggle in the mornings and feel that my focus increases at night. My university library is open 24 hour a day during exam time and I make full use of this! I was there til 2.30am the other night and 2am the next night, getting a lot of work done and still getting enough sleep because I didn't make myself get up at 7am. Whilst my routine is a bit different to most folk's, it works for me!
My daily exam time routine would usually go something like: Wake at 10am, try and study until 4pm (when parking at the library becomes free) or until after tea (eg. 6pm) and then actually study efficiently until approximately 2am.
My twin and I have an older sister who was 14 when we were born, and we used to think it was so silly when we heard that she would wake up in the middle of the night to study! Saraha and I would be two sound asleep toddlers by then and this is what worked for her. She's a doctor now so I guess it worked!
Summary: Getting in the zone? You do you!
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4: Stay Healthy!
Don't stuff yourself full of McDonalds during exam time, no matter how tempting or time efficient it may be. If you want time efficient, prepare your meals at night for the next day. It doesn't have to be a salad every day but some fruit and vegetables would surely help to keep you more focused rather than trapsing to McDonalds every day.
You should also strive to keep active when you can. Even if you just walk a wee bit a day it can really help to clear your mind. If you don't want to spend time exercising then take the stairs when you can, or when you go for a walk, try and memorise or recite something so you know you're still studying on the go!
Sleep is always important! Make sure you're getting enough of it so you aren't sluggish when you want to be on top form!
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5: Treat yourself!
While being healthy is obviously very important, you should know when to take breaks so you don't burn out! Let yourself have snacks to keep your energy up or treat them as rewards or incentives to get your work done quicker. Those small goals I mentioned would be a perfect guideline for when to take breaks.
As a reward I allow myself to watch an episode of one of my favourite TV shows during a meal. And you can't skip meals! (That would be unhealthy!)
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6: You are doing what you're doing for a reason!
Still feeling nervous? Take a deep breath and think about the bigger picture. God didn't put you in a position to let you fail. If you put the work in, God will help you through it. Everything we do should be for God's glory! Won't it be great when we find out how our current situation aids God's plan for us? Just keep calm! Nothing bad is going to happen!
And, hey, even if you don't get what you want right now, God still has great plans for you even if they aren't what you expect. All this means is that what you are going to accomplish is an even bigger surprise! Isn't that exciting?
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Thank you so much for reading! I really hope this helped you out! Leave a comment if you want to chat and I'll get back to you ASAP! I intend to get a post up once a week until this pesky exam period is over and then I can get around to forming an official blog schedule! Have a wonderful weekend and good luck with your exams or whatever you're trying to accomplish! You can do this!
Sana x
