Managing Exam and Study Stress
School/Uni can be really stressful - that's why we're talking about managing exam and study stress
Over the next few weeks we will be talking all things exam and study stress! As we approach exam periods for High School and Uni students alike, we thought it would be good to share tips, concerns and support each other.
We’ve had the GR: Motivation and Study event that you can read through here. This has been an ongoing discussion for many of you here and there are two awesome support threads here for:
I’d encourage anyone needing a community who understands the stress of studying to get involved with those threads. In the meantime we’ve got a few questions below:
Activity
What helps you prepare yourself for a successful study session?
What do you enjoy most about your studies at the moment?
Comments
Hey, community checking on some study stress threads to see how everyone is feeling at the moment?
We've organised a live ask me almost anything event where we will be chatting about "redefining pathways to success". This is a good one to join if you worry about the future of your career/study results, whether you are at school or in tertiary education.
We're also chatting here about the stress of studying during the lockdown. You'll find some tips, links to resources and referrals to support services.
Oof exam and studying stress is something I definitely can relate to.
What helps you prepare yourself for a successful study session?
I feel that doing a sufficient amount of leisurely activities like just playing games or scrolling through social media before studying helps me be more focused. Listening to relaxing background ambiance (like the sound of rain) also helps me concentrate too! Also, preparing some snacks on the side helps. 
What do you enjoy most about your studies at the moment?
That I don't have to study! I recently graduated and am taking a break from further studies so I can try new things and learn what I want to learn!
What helps you prepare yourself for a successful study session?
I used to take a break to read the news, relax and do recreational activities when I got home from school or uni before studying. I found that it helped to refresh my brain. I also had a plan in my head about what I wanted to get done.
Another thing that I found helpful was making notes on my computer to plan my responses and what I needed to do. Keeping track of which references I wanted to use and why I wanted to use them before writing an assignment was very helpful for me.
What do you enjoy most about your studies at the moment?
I have graduated from university and am now applying for postgraduate courses (which is taking up a lot of my time and is a total pain). In the meantime, I've done a number of courses, workshops, webinars, etc. to add to my resume. I find that they are teaching me a lot of practical skills that are going to come in handy in my future career. I also really like learning something different because most of my university studies were theory-based. It's really interesting to see how theory can get put into practice.
I used to do the same things as you to prepare for my study sessions in undergrad!
It's great to see that you are taking initiative and doing things to help you expand and apply your knowledge. It should be looked upon very favourably to the admissions officers 🙂 Best of luck!
What helps you prepare yourself for a successful study session?
I always feel most prepared when I am in the library and have at least a few hours to study. I feel a lot less pressure to rush my study and take breaks when needed but I also get way more done in the library because I have less distractions/am motivated to study by those around me.
What do you enjoy most about your studies at the moment?
That they're almost done!!! After 7 years I am 5 weeks away from graduating.
I really love this idea! I find uni can be extremely emotionally, physically and mentally demanding at times - and can definitely benefit from hearing about how i can better manage my stress!
What helps you prepare yourself for a successful study session?
I try to make sure im feeling calm and in comfy clothes and I sit somewhere peaceful that isn't distracting - somewhere where i can't reach my phone especially!
What do you enjoy most about your studies at the moment?
I study psyc so i just enjoy learning more about why we are the way we are. My positive psychology course has gotten me to start practicing mindfulness myself - i just love how practical the degree is 🙂
Good timing for this one!
What helps you prepare yourself for a successful study session?
Having water next to me! Tea, comfy clothers and a decluttered workspace. Plus having everything I need e.g. papers, calculators, textbooks etc. with me from the start so i'm not up and down, and breaking the concentration zone.
Also really handy to have at least a vague idea of what/how much you want to get done that session so that you know you're on track and can cross things off your list at the end. Such a good feeling! 😄
What do you enjoy most about your studies at the moment?
A lot of my assessment is written atm and we choose topics that only cover part of the course. Which means that for the rest of it I can just enjoy learning the material 
honestly so much more fun to engage with learning material that way!
@lennycat2017 yay, so exciting! 😄 congrats on nearly being done!
