Mentally preparing for finals

It's time to prep our conscience for finals again. 

And just like that, we’re done with yet another semester of uni and soon to be facing exam season again but for myself and many others, it’s going to be our first time sitting our finals at Wayville! It’s sort of terrifying to dive into something like that without prior experience but oh well, I guess there’s a first to everything. To help me mentally prepare for Wayville and the rush of SWOTVAC, I’ve listed a couple of things that we could do to help..

1. Calm your mind down. I know, that’s a pretty tough first step considering our brains are probably filled with 1000 different things to think of. Not to mention the anxious thoughts that follow but give it a try nonetheless because you will find that you might work better if you’ve got a clearer mind. Do some meditations and if that’s not your cup of tea, go for a walk or read at the beach.
2. Now that your brain is decluttered, it’s time to organise your study area. It doesn’t matter where you choose to study – whether it be at home or at uni – it’s always a good idea to sort out the space you’re going to be studying at. To me, if my space is too messy, I’ll get easily distracted by it and not to mention how annoying it’ll be having to go through piles and piles of paper in search of your week 3 notes. So sort your papers out into a file and throw out all the other junk that's on your table.
3. Get in the mood to study. Sometimes it’s no fun forcing yourself to do something that you clearly don’t want to do so it’s crucial that you’re in the right mindset to take on the load of exam preparations! Different people have different things that motivate them to study. Mine is watching other people study so I love going through “study with me” or “day in the life of a ___ student” videos on YouTube.
4. Have a mock exam. I think it’s a brilliant idea to attempt past year papers but in an environment that is similar to the real deal because it helps me know what I’ll be expecting on the day of my exams. Set a timer and do those past year papers like you would a real exam. Better if you have friends who would join you because then you can experience the pressure of sitting for your exams surrounded by other students just like in Wayville.
5. Don’t forget to take a break in between studying. I know it’s so easy to keep going once you’ve gotten the groove of things but don’t push yourself to the point of burning out. Take 5-10 minutes in between every study session to declutter your mind and put a cap on your daily work hours. I generally switch off my laptop and put my notes away once the clock strikes 8pm so I could spend the rest of my night relaxing my body and mind.

Remember, studying hard is important but keeping your mind and body healthy is even more important! It will and can get overwhelming when it comes to studying so be careful not to push your brain over the edge. If you’re feeling stressed out or want more study tips, check them out on Student Wellbeing Hub website! There are also some exam stress videos to check out.