My first topic of choice is something I have been thinking about for the last few weeks. That topic is simply the enormous amount of stress that is put on students and how they manage and relive that stress.
Currently at SAIT it is cram time for almost all of the students, next week I have four exams to write (which is minimal compared to some). For the last week and a half or so I have been cramming as much knowledge into my head as possible, so I may have a chance at passing these bad boys. However, while I have been cramming I have also been lacking on other aspects in my life and education. First of all in the last week I have missed numerous classes so I can study and I have no plans on going to class on Thursday or Friday. I am not sure why colleges decide that it is best to have classes right up until the week of finals. That gives us absolutely no time to study! Most of the time they don't remember that eighty percent of us have part-time or full-time jobs plus families on top of that. I am fortunate enough to have a job where I am able to study while I am at work but that is pretty rare if you ask me. Next they expect people to write a bunch of exams in only a week without giving them time to prepare.
What really confuses me is how we have "Reading Week" in the middle of February when in only a month and a half we will be writing our finals and could really use that week to study! What are they thinking? I am definitely not complaining about having a week off but I think that they couldn't have chose a worse time to have it.
Dealing with all these stress isn't easy for any student. Everyone has their own ways to deal with this stress and for some they are able to completely manage it while others (i.e. me) run around feeling like a chicken with its head cut off. I personally think that spending time with my friends is a great way to relax as well as spending time with my girlfriend. Unfortunately at this level in the game I don't have much time to even do that so it isn't exactly what I would call a stress management control.
How do you guys manage your stress? Any tips for people like me who really are clueless when it comes to managing it all. If you are like me you make it through these finals and then look back and realize you had no clue what you were doing the entire time, you just somehow made it work.
I have done some research and I have found some tips and techniques to help manage my stress levels. Below are the stresss techniques from different websites that I have decided to try out.
- Avoid comparing your abilities with your mates. Those "Oh my God I've only read Macbeth 17 times" conversations are such a wind up. Everyone approaches revision in different ways, so just make sure you've chosen the method that works best for you. Make a realistic timetable. Stick to it.
- Sleep well. Wind down before bed. Don't revise under the duvet - your bed is a sanctuary not a desk. Get your 8 hours.
- Eat right. Treat yourself like a well honed machine. Fresh fruit and veg. Proper breakfasts. No one can think straight on Coffee and Cornflakes.
- Exercise. Nothing distresses the mind faster than physical activity. Build it into your timetable. Being a sloth makes our mind sloppy too.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/advice/factfile_az/exams_stress
- When test-time rolls around, it’s time to get yourself into confidence mode. You’ve prepared as much as you could, and now it’s time to ace the test. The tip here is to do whatever works to convince yourself you are going to do really well.
- Imagine yourself taking the test and feeling confident that you know all the information. Picture getting all of the answers correct, and focus on how relaxed you feel. Then picture the A on your final. When you imagine a happy ending, that’s often what happens, because you make the decisions that lead to it without even realizing.
- You need to say no to are the people who want to take up your time. There will probably be a friend who needs to talk to you for hours about their life, or a party the night before your final, and if you say yes, you’ll probably be tempted to blow off studying. Resist the urge. Say no to the distractions and be selfish for a day.
http://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/6-tips-to-beat-final-exam-stress/
Lately I have been relying on Fibre One bars and Monster energy drinks to keep me going; which ultimately doesn't benefit me in the short or long run. However, it does keep me awake! I am sure many of you are the same whether it is with coffee, sports drinks, or even just pop we do what we have to do to keep awake and focused so that when that time comes we are able to regurgitate the information back onto our exams! Even I realize that this isn't healthy but I also keep telling myself its only for a short period of time. I am not sure that helps all that well. Hopefully, the tips above will help make the next week go by a little easier, especially when it comes to exercising and eating right, those are two things that I am not exactly good at. One thing that I do get enough of is sleep and yet I find it extremely difficult to get up in the morning (Which is a symptom of stress according to BBC Advise).
Another thing I am terrible for is imagining myself failing. Confidence is one thing I have never had when it comes to writing exams. Even if I study as much as I can I feel like I am going to do bad no matter what! Its the worst feeling to have and I know many of you feel the same way. That also goes for saying no to distractions too. College is about education but it is also about having a social life and making life long friends. I have a hard time saying no to people who invite me out but in the end what I mainly want is a higher GPA at this point. As much as I think that it will be the end of the world if I don't go and do something, its actually not (I just need to learn to keep this in mind).
So let me know what works for you guys! If you have any tips for people like me please share!!
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