SLOW-MO: Coping with Study Stress, 21st-25th of September

Happy Monday everyone!

Let's get this started with today's questions 😄

Are you studying at the moment? How are you finding it? Anything you're really loving or finding challenging?

Thanks for tagging me @WheresMySquishy, I always manage to miss these! 

But yeah, I'm studying at the moment and am REALLY struggling with the online learning! I hate it and really miss face to face connections... online lectures are cool cause I can pause and take time making my notes but workshops online SUCK! 👎

@MB95  I can relate to that! I used to feel as though as I had to go to tutorials and on-campus things. During my degree, we did a lot of interesting practical things and group work in class. I wonder what people who are taking science-based classed are doing.

Hi all!

Here's our next question:
What are your top study tips?

Great thread idea @ecla34 and thanks for tagging me @WheresMySquishy 

As a recent high school graduate, the stress of studying is still fresh in my mind. I think the first tip to deal with stress is to do some acts of self-care and take breaks from your work. I remember during the HSC, I would allow myself to eat some tasty treats and played tennis every week.

Another tip is to find the right studying habit for you. I think this is a bit trickier, since I've seen a lot of posts where people explain how they study for exams. However, study habits are not a 'one-size-fits-all' scenario, so you should find one that suits you. I, for example, find it helpful to listen to music when I'm writing down notes, but not when doing more intensive revision since it can be a bit distracting. Some people are able to write concise and short notes, but I prefer writing more detailed notes since I'm a very visual learner.

Finally, talk to family, friends and other trusted people if you have any concerns or questions about exams (the school councillor, year advisors or teacher, for example). Connecting with others is itself a form of self-care, especially during this stressful period!

I know that the upcoming exam period can be daunting, particularly under the current circumstances. I wish everyone the best of luck for their tests, you're more than welcome to reach out (hehe) to us on this site if you need to 

I'm in uni. People start to get stressed out around week 3 of the term and it doesn't really stop until you finish your last exam . My most favourite tip is if you're feeling overwhelmed about studying, doing just anything is better than nothing. Study 1 slide, write 1 sentence, whatever that can get you started. And sometimes you may even want to keep going after that! 

And sometimes I procrastinate on one assignment by doing the next. I'll still feel stressed out when the first one is nearly due (which will happen anyway) but at least I'll get the next one done earlier!

Awesome tips guys, I loved reading them all 😊

I'm someone who is VERY EASILY distracted so have to make sure my study area is dead silent! Can be hella difficult though so I've learnt to listen to soothing sounds on the Calm app. If you haven't heard of it and struggle to study with noise around or even with getting to sleep I'd highly reccommend it! I listen to crashing waves to fall asleep every night and rainforest noises while I'm studying! 😍 Just helps to drain out some of the annoying sounds and people talking in the library 😂

My other tip is.. if your uni/school is open during these rediculous times then take advantage of it! I cannot study at all when I'm home so find physically going in and sitting at uni is my 'work day'. I try and work hard there so when I come home it's ZERO uni! My favourite time of the day lol 

Lots of great tips in here, thanks @ecla34 for creating the thread 

So true about the importance of sleep @xXLexi_Lou122Xx ! And I'm with you, I can only listen to music without lyrics when I'm studying/reading!

And those are such good tips about taking breaks and tasty treats @featuringme and @StarGirl101 !

What you said about just doing one thing really resonated with me @November13, starting can be so hard but I would always be glad that I did, even if it was a small start. I used to work in student support at my old uni and we would often talk to students about ways to "get in the zone" to study. One of these common suggestions was to set up a designated study space that you could focus in -  Of course this isn't possible for everyone, we don't all have a home office/our own desk but other environmental changes can help with getting in that zone like picking a time of day to study (maybe you feel more energised/focused when the sun is up!) or going to the local library.

Another cute tip I like is about changing how you feel by putting on shoes! Sounds a bit odd, but when I put on shoes I know I am not lounging about and I feel like I am getting ready to be productive, it gets me in a headspace to do work. The power of shoes.

Tagging some people who have been online recently and might be interested in this GR:
@Tiny_leaf   @xXLexi_Lou122Xx   @MB95   @Remi @Bingo1234  @sunnygirl606 @wanderingwasp @celestialdreamer @Mayour @ameliaj @meganjane14 @Abderian @Guitarman97 @marlee @funnyusername @A_Friend @Ezle @LeapofFaith @FluffyDog @h0peful @Anonymous @featuringme @cicadas @Jimh @Vuyo @Sharnaayheey @StarGirl101 @JasminH @indieinsanus @StormySeas17 @November13 @sapphieandelfie  @JullyBean  @squiggly 
Sorry if I've missed anyone. It's okay if you don't want to participate. 🙂

Goodness, I didn't even see this tag but I love this thread!

Are you studying at the moment?

- Yes I am! I am currently studying forensic psychology!

How are you finding it?

- I love it and contrary to popular opinion, I really like online learning! (I think its the waking up 10 minutes before class and not having to drive to uni everyday!)

Anything you're really loving or finding challenging?

- Despite loving it online, i do miss the opportunity to make some friends 

Thanks for tagging me in @WheresMySquishy! It’s an awesome chat and it’s great to be collectively brainstorming ideas we can all use to cope with school stress. 

I am in year 12 currently and of course stress is...pretty much the most used word around here. I do have some study tips to share, some things I have personally found really helpful when managing day to day tasks. More than that though, just wanna emphasise that taking a break - no matter how long if that’s what you really need - or talking to someone when the stress gets to you, is absolutely okay. That’s something I have had to adjust to and understand. We are all human at the end of the day, not robots 🙃. This ties into my first tip: listen to your body - if you are exhausted take time off...if you feel overwhelmed, maybe try something else for the moment and come back to the task only when you are ready. 

My second tip would be to learn how you work best. For me personally, when I get home after an hour and a half of travelling on bus, I find that I am extremely tired and don’t feel like doing anything. So I instead try to complete as much as I can during school hours and in class - this way works well for me. I also learnt that I am an auditory learner - meaning that I hate reading textbooks for hours on end and find moving around while studying a little distracting. I would love to hear about what works for you guys too 😊

Finally I think procrastinating is okay! I found that if you sort of accept it and adapt your study schedule to it...it would actually end up being helpful. I have had my fair share of moments where I can’t take my eyes of the screen - but what I do is basically build up the time I take to study and cut down the time I focus on other things. So when I first sit down, I am super distracted...so I spend a little bit of time on Pinterest, then spend ten minutes studying, and then come back to the screen again. The next time, I increase the time I study by about another ten minutes, and cut down socials to five minutes or so. Soon enough it will be a little easier to put away other stuff and focus on your task for a little bit longer. 

Hopefully this helps 😁

Thanks for the tag @WheresMySquishy! I'm currently studying again for the first time in 2 years, and jumping back into it while everything is online has been pretty difficult!

I've been finding it helpful to set up blocks of study, by setting a timer on my phone for say 20 minutes, where I focus on just smashing out as much work as I can and then rewarding myself with a little break, and then repeating the process. That way I find it easier to focus for those 20 minutes instead of just sitting at my desk for 6 hours with only an hour of actual productivity! 

Happy Wednesday guys!

Time for some more questions 😄

How can we cope when we don't get the grade or mark we wanted? 

Oh boy, I'm not the best when it comes to dealing with disappointing marks  It's good to indulge yourself in some self-care and step away from the assignment, to start off with. I think it's also important to consider the fact that academic success is something we can work on, rather than something that cannot be improved on. This is related to the idea of a growth mindset, where intelligence is not fixed and can be worked on through hard work. Finally, reach out to others if you need help with understanding the assignment, or if you just want to talk. These are just the tips I wanted to share, everyone else has already made some great suggestions!

This is a great question! 

My friends who are currently studying have absolutely noticed a change in their grades since covid too @MB95 - you are not alone there! I hope that brings some comfort 

I definitely think stepping back and doing some self-care is a great strategy @featuringme. I'd usually will have a moment where I would think "Well what do they even know?!" about my lecturers/tutors and be very reluctant to accept things at first! But then I take a step back and consider their feedback in a more objective way. 

I also think getting some support from others is a great tip too! I was lucky that my brother studied something similar to me and we were able to debrief and share stuff. He also taught me how to reference, had absolutely no clue how to do that  

(Also @Tay100 Ì really appreciated your Jane the Virgin gif, I miss that show so much ) 

@Hannah-RO  I know, Jane's writing blocks and breakthroughs mirror the study experience well, I think.

@celestialdreamer I relate to the low grade= low motivation paradigm a lot, it sucks!

@MB95 it sounds like the realisations you've had about studying during covid are really freeing for you!

@featuringme love the idea of growing, and that nothing is fixed or irreversible when it comes to progress!

It's been a great discussion so far! Time for one more to reflect, and wrap things up

What's a study stress-busting tip that you'd like to try going forward?

What's a study stress-busting tip that you'd like to try going forward?

Ooo definitely making study an enjoyable experience- with snacks, water, lofi music, and a comfy workspace! Combining aesthetic and practicality, if you will.

See this studio Ghibli gif for inspo:

I definitely agree with @Tay100- When studying is enjoyable, or even fun, it's so much easier. I should try and take up some of my old study hacks from my high school days. Lots of mnemonics and studying with my friend haha 😛

I wish there was a way to make assignments fun. I suppose if the topic is interesting enough. Maybe I just need to frame things differently to make it seem more fun. Hmm

sneaking in to post a question for today!

What strategies do you use to help you cope with study stress?