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| Not enough preparation can turn you into "Examzilla." (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Nail biting, sweaty palms and sleepless nights. And forget bags鈥攜ou鈥檝e got a full set of luggage under your eyes.
Yep, it鈥檚 that time again鈥� exams.
As we turn our calendars to the chilly month of December, the stress of exam preparation is soon to follow. There鈥檚 nothing worse than going to all your classes and knowing all your stuff, only to find your brain has already gone on vacation come exam time.
Finals are unquestionably the most stressful time of the year and how four months of classes flew by so quickly continues to remain a mystery.
We鈥檝e all heard the statistics that stress adversely affects performance, and we鈥檝e all read the 鈥榮ecret鈥� stress reducing tips 鈥� but how many of us actually use the advice we鈥檙e given? Considering most students sit through about 87 exams during their school career, remembering these tips can definitely come in handy.
Stress not only turns you into Examzilla鈥攜ou know, a moody and wide-eyed coffee guzzling beast-monster who survives on a few hours of sleep, and has a life-span of approximately two weeks鈥攂ut it can also affect your ability to perform your best and to retain and reiterate information. Stress has also been linked to deficient immune systems and a wide array of physical health problems.
While exam stress is natural, some struggle more than others. If you haven鈥檛 experienced extreme stress yourself, I鈥檓 sure you鈥檝e caught a glimpse of an Examzilla during your time here at Dalhousie. Frequent sightings have been said to occur in the Killam; watch for tracks of empty coffee cups and pencil shavings.
Next time you鈥檙e procrastinating, why not try a few of these simple stress reducing tips:
- Cut back on caffeine: Relying too heavily on this 鈥渓ife saver鈥� can actually impair concentration and increase stress levels. This also goes for alcohol - avoid the temptation! Stick to water or juice, this will keep your sugars up and keep you hydrated.
- Take breaks: I once heard a story of a girl who colored a square block on a piece of paper after every hour while she studied. Doing something like this not only gives your brain a break, but lets you visually see your accomplishments.
- Manage expectations: Don鈥檛 expect to cram four months of classes into three days. This could be the most useful tip鈥攕pread your studies out.
- Look after your body: A little exercise goes a long way鈥攁nd putting yourself on house arrest will not make studying any easier. Get outside during a study break to let loose, or pound out some stress on a treadmill at the Dalplex.
- Ask for support: Did you know that here on campus 黑料吃瓜网offers many counseling services and study workshops, especially during exam time? You pay for these services in your tuition fees, so take advantage and seek help when you need it.
- Remember to double check where and when your exams are. There's nothing worse than thinking your exam is at Dalplex when it's actually at Sexton Gym. (See: .)
鈥淲e provide a variety of services here," says Victor Day, director of , which is located in the Student Union Building. 鈥淗owever most of our work helping students is done via individual sessions.鈥�
Just remember, exams have a beginning and an end, and nothing is ever as bad as it seems. You鈥檝e survived four months of classes, what鈥檚 the big deal about one more test?
Trevor Ritchie, a third-year commerce student, is doing an internship with Dalhousie's Communications and Marketing Office.