If you experience significantly elevated levels of stress during exam week, you’re not alone. Having back-to-back exams and other obligations may make it feel like time and your instructors are against you. So, knowing the tips to manage that time to excel during exam week is essential.
Where many students fall short when it comes to exam week is managing their time. According to the American Psychological Association, between 80-95% of college students procrastinate. Putting off assignments, projects, or papers may seem like a good idea at first, but is truly detrimental in the long run. Trying to complete assignments at the last minute causes unnecessary and unwanted stress that is easily avoidable.
Creating a schedule for yourself can help prevent procrastination and motivate you to complete tasks. If you’re a student involved in many organizations, and find yourself struggling to find time to do work, sit down and come up with a plan for yourself. Mapping out when you’ll attend class, eat, do your work, or attend meetings, can help your mind stay clear and organized. What organizations can you put on the back burner right now? Is your education your top priority or is it something else? Creating a schedule makes it easier for you to know what you do and don’t have time for.
Making time for yourself is always important, especially during exam week. But how you spend that precious time is just as important. If you have a challenging exam coming up, you may find it beneficial to use your time to study. Dedicating an hour or two in a quiet space and reviewing your notes is a good way to spend your free time. If you’re someone who may have a lighter schedule, don’t get lost in the flexibility of it. Remain disciplined by sticking to a routine and allotting yourself a certain amount of time a day to spend on school work.
But, if you get overwhelmed with your studies and want to take a break? Then, take a break! Give yourself grace. You’ve made it this far into the school year; it’s more than okay to have downtime. Give yourself specific times where you can rest and focus on something other than academics. During your study break, fuel up on food and water to maintain your energy levels, practice self-care, or go outside. Staring at loads of information for too long can get overwhelming. So don’t be afraid to take a step back for a bit.
Hamptonians are very hardworking and determined individuals, and we love to celebrate each other’s successes. Keith Morris Jr., a second year psychology major and the Sophomore Class Vice President gave some studying advice.
“Make sure you know when and where all your exams are. That way you can prioritize the exams closer in date and study accordingly,” said Morris.
Knowing the details of your exams can limit your levels of procrastination and allow you to create a study plan.
Morris, who is extremely active on campus shared more tips for those who may also be busy-bee’s.
“As someone who’s extremely active on campus, my best advice is to make sure you’re putting your studies first. It can be very easy to get caught up in all that you're involved in but I think setting boundaries within all your activities rather than being an organization or a job and making sure that you have time for your studies but also for yourself,” said Morris.
A healthy school-life balance involves setting boundaries in order to properly manage your time and take care of your mental and physical health. Malachi Hutcherson, a second year HU student spoke to the importance of studying in advance to prevent stress.
“If you take a healthy approach and try to micromanage, maybe just 30 minutes a day trying to study for something instead of trying to cram at the last second, it can really improve your mental health,” he said.
Hutcherson also advised leaning on others in your time of need, and not handling all of the responsibilities by yourself.
“It’s about managing your time wisely and making sure that you find time in the day, everyday, to kind of make sure you get done with all of your responsibilities. It can be a lot, so asking your teachers for help and asking friends for help as well can be something that’s very important for you,” he said.
Using your resources when you need help is another important piece of advice for exam week. Take advantage of your instructors’ office hours and reach out to your peers if you’re not understanding something. There are also on-campus resources to help you remain stress-free during exam week.
The Student Counseling Center said they will have their regularly scheduled classes at the Wellness Pods during exam week which can be found below as well as on their Instagram page (@hamptonu_counselingcenter). Their resting pods will be open throughout the week and students can sign up through the form linked in their Instagram bio.
Use these tips for a stress free exam week. Good luck!
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