How to survive exam season?
Hey you!
I hope you’ve been well?
This exam season has been tough hasn’t it? Most students in Belgium must be over half way through their exams by now. How has it been so far? Let me know in the comments! The weather here in Belgium has not been helping people study properly. This weekend the tempretures reached 33°C!! That is extremely hot for June! So today I’ll be sharing tips to survive the exam season.
Tips to survive exam season
The best way to survive exam season is by knowing that exam season is temporal. It’s not for ever. When you’re going through the motions of exams it’s so easy to think that the exam season will last forever while its only a good month, maximum 1,5 months. So make sure you remember that.
If you want you can create a countdown to look remind you that it’s almost over. This school year has gone by so fast! I was taken by surprise when I realised that we’re already June. So just know, as fast as June came, that’s how fast it’ll be over, so hang in there. There are way more tips below that I have split up in 5 categories.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Tips to stay motivated
- How to stay calm during the exams
- How to mentally prepare for an exam
- Best foods to eat before an exam
- Surprise resource!
Tips to stay motivated
Motivation is an important aspect during the exams, without any motivation it’s hard to even start, so here are some tips to motivate yourself and/ or stay motivated:
Before you start your study day Do a BRAIN DUMP
A brain dump, also known as a mental dump is a transfer of concious thoughts that are flowing in your mind onto a piece of paper or digital document. If you want to know how to create one you can read it here.
Remember why you started
The most important motivator is remembering why you started this in the first place. Remember the goal you had for yourself. Remember the person who you want to become. Remember the lifestyle you want to live. Remember the sacrifices you’ve already made to get here. Remember that in the end it’s for a good reason.
Go for a walk at least once a day
It’s important to move your legs once every so often. It helps keep your blood flowing and going outside removes you from the place that you associate with work for a bit, so that you can take a proper rest break.
Taking a 15-30 minute walk at least once a day is healthy for you for various reasons, especially during exam season, such as:
– Strengthening your immune system
– improving your muscle endurance
– Increasing your energy levels
– Reducing stress and tension
– Etc.
Take it minute by minute
A lot of people struggle to stick to their exam planning, because they tend to get overwhelmed by the amount they still have to do. If you make a list of things that you have to do at the beginning of the day, it can help you empty your mind.
When you start studying, you make sure you take it one task at a time and one minute at a time. Focus on what can I learn the next minute and that’s how you keep going!
Before you know it, you would’ve finished the whole chapter!
Give yourself space within all the plans. Don’t be too frustrated if a chapter took longer than you expected. If you get frustrated everytime something goes wrong, you won’t survive exam season.
Study together with others
Studying with others has been proven to help you study as well, because seeing others studying as well, helps you feel less alone while going though it all. It’ll push you to study as well.
You can either study in the Library, meet up with friends to study together in real life or even online through discord or teams.
Remember that discipline > motivation
You won’t always be motivated during the exams, but it’s important to keep going even when you don’t feel like doing it. Embracing the motto of working to get motivated rather than waiting until you have the motivation to start will improve your perseverance during the exam season. It really is one of the core points to survive exam season.
How to stay calm during exams
Staying calm during an exam isn’t always easy, but its crucial for you to survive exam season, so that you don’t forget things out of fear or panic, so here are some tips on how to stay calm during the exams.
- Read through the questions while writing bullet points of the answer in pencil
When you start by reading through your exam and take little notes under each question, you’re creating a type of brain dump of exam information. When you write down the information you know it’ll give you confidence to keep going and to keep trying.
- Take it one exam question at a time
While filling in your exam, don’t focus on the things you still have to do, but focus on completing the question that is at hand. Use the bullet points that you had written in pencil earlier and build your answer from the information that you know.
- Don’t freak out if you don’t know the first couple of questions
Sometimes, you won’t remember the answer to the first (few) questions and it’s easy to freak out and think it won’t work out, but when you start to freak out, there is a possibility that you’ll forget other things as well. If you don’t know the answer to a question, take a deep breath and go to another question. Pick out the easiest question that you can find and fill that one out first
- When you start to panic, take a minute and focus on your breathing
Breathe in… Breathe out…
It sounds simple and it is very important. One of the fastest ways to calm down is by focusing on your breathing. There are various excersises that you can do daily to breathe properly under moments of stress. The moment you’re able to breathe properly under stress, you can survive exam season.
- When you forget a detail, remember the main topic and break it down from there, the chances are that you’ll remember the detail if you go through the story for yourself
- Remember that this exam isn’t the end of the world, failing the exam will not kill you.
Even if everything goes wrong, as long as you’re still breathing, you can make something of your life. You can start again. You can try again. Don’t forget that retakes are a blessing in disguise Make use of them and try again. Don’t be discouraged by it.
The only thing an exam proves is how well you know that particular topic. It doesn’t say anything about you as a person. You’re not less valuable, if you don’t pass the exam.
How to mentally prepare for an exam
So after studying your course materials, preparing for an exam mentally is a huge benefit to survive exam season. There are different tips for preparing for the exam mentally that can help you feel more ready for your exam. A lot of us, including myself, tend to always have the feeling that we haven’t studied enough.
There comes a point in your study journey where you can’t do more than you’ve already done. Here are some ways to be at peace with yourself as you await the exam.
- Write positive affirmations to yourself that you read out loud every time before you start studying; make sure you read those positive affirmations to yourself daily. I have designed cute cards to write your own affirmations so send me a message if you want one for FREE! 😉
- Believe that you can pass; if you don’t believe that you can make it, you won’t. If you believe you can, you’re halfway there.
- Clean up your room; a clean working environment, creates a clear headspace that will help you focus better on studying and can help you be more productive. Starting or ending your day cleaning your workspace works theraputic as well. It’s a nice way to relax.
- Create a nice atmosphere; Make your study spot a nice place to come to. Romantisize your study area and your study experience. Talk yourself into loving what you do, where you do it and how you do it.
By adapting these small habits into your study schedule, you will survive exam season.
Best foods to eat before an exam
What you consume during the exams has a big impact on how you perform. Your diet is very important during exam season and a lot of people usually let themselves go during the exams, but a good way to survive exam season is by watching your diet. Here are a few simple ways tips to improve your diet without having to think too much about it.
- Stay hydrated; make sure you drink at least 1,5L of water per day
- Eat 2 fruits and 5 vegetables each day as a minimum
- Avoid alcohol during the exams
- Take vitamin supplements; some supplements that help: fish oil, vitamin C,
- Eat at regular intervals, but small portions
If you want more tips for food, you can read them here.
Bible verses that will help you during exam season
One of the main thinigs that help me survive exam season are Bible verses. That’s where I get all my hope, energy, motivation and willpower comes from.
Below you will find my top 5 verses that have helped me get survive exam season and the reasons why.
God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
Daniel 1:17 (NLT)
To survive the exam season, the first thing you have to do is remember that God gives understanding and knowledge to those who ask. When you are struggling to understand something, just pray, believe that He’s listening and ask Him. He will give you the understanding.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
PSALM 77:2 (ESV)
You are trying to survive the exam season, there will be days when it gets hard.Remember that you will be comforted in your struggles.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Hebrews 13:5-6 (KJV)
One of the most important things during exam season that people often forget is gratitude. To survive exam season you have to remember that it is a blessing to be able to study. It might feel like hell right now, but there are many people who want to go through the hell you’re going through right now. :p
On top of that you’re not studying alone, God is with you and the comfort that it brings is real!
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
PSALM 23:3
God will restore your energy. He will restore your motivation. Don’t forget that in this exam season, you’re not alone. To survive the exam season you need to remember that you’re not doing this by yourself.
Also, remember that in all things you do, you’re doing it for His Glory, even exams. To survive exam season it’s important to know who you’re doing this for.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ
2 Corinthians 10:5
One of the biggest issues that arise during studying for exams is mental distractions, a.k.a. your thoughts. It’s easy to put things away such as your phone, books, radio, etc. but dealing with your thoughts is something else.
If you need a verse card set like the one in the pictures, one to carry along with you wherever you go, you can order them here. If you know you won’t be able to do this by yourself, the verse card set is definitely for you. Up until 23/06/2022, there is a 15% off with the code “SURVIVE15”.
Let me know in the comments below which tip was your favourite tip to survive exam season.
I hope you enjoyed this post on how to survive exam season! 😉
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Big love,
Joy
