No one enjoys exam season, at least no one that I know. The weeks of stress and anxiety, sleep deprivation alongside constant questioning of ‘am I doing enough work?’, in the run up to the exam can be extremely overwhelming. This blog will not help you pass your exam, that’s not its purpose. But it will hopefully help you to successfully manage the exam season.

Firstly, it’s important to recognise that there is no ‘perfect’ student around exam season. Everyone revises and works differently, and it works for them. Just because you aren’t living in the library like your friend (we all have that one friend), it does not mean that you are revising wrong. Be sure to work in an environment that suits you. I personally work best in my room where there are no distractions, rather than the library.

A common issue, that many students face around exam season, is the lack of actual motivation to study. This can be the result of stress, anxiety and the fear of failure around exams. To keep yourself motivated, find things that you can use as incentives to study or similarly things that you can reward yourself with. In addition to this, try and watch or do something that makes you want to study. I have often found YouTube videos of people studying extremely motivational. I like to reward myself by studying and then making plans with my friends. Every piece of work you do, no matter how little can make a big difference! It is important to bear that in mind.

We all have that friend that locks themselves in their room and studies in the dark like a vampire during exam season. You never seem to see them in the daylight or in the kitchen making food (you know who you are!). However, it is extremely vital for your health to get your daily dose of daylight, eat three times a day and see people. This will keep you in a healthy mindset to study and can even improve lack of motivation.

Finally, there is no ‘correct’ way to revise. Do what works for you, everyone learns and works in different ways. Just remember not to panic and to plan out your revision. Time management is key, so try and make a revision table so you don’t end up trying to learn your entire course the night before your exam (we have all tried something like this at one point or another and it never works!).

Exams, although they might seem it, are not the end of the world. Remember to keep a balance and look after yourself through it. Everyone is in the same boat, so don’t feel like you are the only one struggling because you are most certainly not.