Stress. As college students, it’s something that we’re used to, especially at this point in the semester. It’s the time of the year when papers and exams pile up and winter breaks seems so far off in the horizon that you can’t see it.
We all have our little superstitions when it comes to exam taking or paper writing, whether it’s using a lucky pencil, the “retweet this picture in 30 seconds for all A’s” tweets or walking to the right of the seal in old campus.
For me, I need my study time playlist on Spotify playing and I need coffee or tea with me at all times.
Sometimes, that’s enough for everything to be OK during exams.
Other times, we need all the help we can get.
I have terrible anxiety. This is the worst time of the year for me. At this point, I just want to be home with my family, staying up late watching TV with my mom or going out to eat with my best friend. The furthest thing from my mind is wanting to study for exams, even though it’s something I need to do.
This is the time of year where the amount of sleep I get in a night dramatically decreases. I can’t shut my mind off at night and my brain keeps wanting me to check my email to make sure I’m up to date on everything and I have the latest information when it comes to my classes and my grades.
It’s almost like my brain has FOMO for class assignments and study guides.
I particularly hate this time of year because of all the added stress in my life. I’m already prone to living a stressed life. Exam week does nothing to make it better. It’s the time of the year where the only thing keeping me alive is multiple trips to Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts for coffee.
I don’t have that many test exams this semester, but I’m still feeling the pressure. It’s the perfectionist in me. I’ll even go as far to say it’s the natural Capricorn in me.
But even as the work piles on, it’s important to remember that taking time for yourself is important.
Whether it’s getting coffee, painting your nails or watching a few episodes of your favorite show on Netflix, do it. Exam week is a stressful time. Study, but also take a break to avoid overwhelming yourself and your brain.
It’s something I have to constantly remind myself, especially as a way to keep me sane when I’m probably not being the nicest person. And while I’m not the queen of taking my own advice, it helps to have a plan in place – just in case I decide to step away from everything for a little bit to be my old self.
Good luck to everyone on their exams and may the curve forever be in your favor. You’ve got this.
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