Exams, assignments and anxiety: for
university students, the end of
classes in December is just the
beginning. Fortunately, there are
ways to make it through without
sacrificing your well-being.
Here, in
no particular order, are 10 tips for
surviving and thriving during exam
season.
1. Embrace list making. Jot down
your exam schedule, assignment due
dates and important reminders on a
calendar. Make a study schedule and
stick to it, but don’t forget to pencil in
breaks.
2. Find the right study space. Whether
you prefer a bustling coffee shop or
the library’s silent floor, find a proper
chair and pick a well-lit space. Steer
clear of the ultimate temptations:
television and chatty roommates.
3. Triage. Let’s face it: you can’t
properly analyze an entire
Shakespeare anthology in three
days. Time is limited, so study the
hard subjects first (when you’re most
alert) and prioritize material based on
urgency and relevance.
4. Exercise. Regular workouts are
shown to improve your mood, boost
energy and promote better sleep . If
all else fails, go outside. Remember
outside? Try skating, tobogganing or
a jog around the block for sun and
exercise.
5. Put mental health first. Mental
health is just as important as its
physical counterpart. Familiarize
yourself with your school’s
counselling service and don’t be
afraid to utilize it. The Mental Health
Commission of Canada and websites
like mindyourmind.ca also offer a
number of tools and resources.
6. Eat healthy. It’s a no-brainer:
fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
protein keep the mind sharp. In a
clinch, the perennial granola bar
wards off hunger and donut cravings.
On that note…
7. Know your late-night snack hubs.
Coffee shops with extended hours and
24-hour grocery stores are a godsend
during exam season. Bonus: late-
night snack runs are great
opportunities for people watching.
8. Plan a fun night out. Studying
non-stop isn’t healthy, but neither is
going on a bender. Keep things low-
key and take in a movie, go dancing
with friends or organize a night of
coffee and board games.
9. Stay off Facebook. Newsflash: All
of that wasted time adds up. The
siren song of social media is hard to
resist, but commit to staying offline
during studying hours. You’ll have
plenty of time during the holiday
season to catch up on your teenage
cousin’s thoughts about the weather.
10. Sleep. All-nighters aren’t worth it,
according to a study published in the
January issue of Behavioral Sleep
Medicine. The dazed, caffeine-addled
university student stereotype is a
cliché for a reason: sleeping six to
eight hours a night maximizes brain
function, and the study found that
students who regularly pulled all-
nighters tended to have lower grades
than those who didn’t.
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