Written by Ozcan Inanli, MSc Psychology, Year 1 (Part Time student)
Exam Success and Acing Assignments
With exams being around the corner, the number of assignments and deadlines accumulating, it can feel like a real struggle to get yourself motivated! I can completely relate to this! It’s tough, you feel like you are alone, you feel like giving up and just want to put any pending tasks off. I’ll let you into a secret – avoidance is not your friend. The automatic response to manage stress for many of us is to procrastinate for long periods of time to try and make ourselves feel better, but in reality, the stress catches up with us and we feel more stressed.
Here are my top tips for exam success:
- Get started! Do a bit each day is what I would suggest
- Create a study plan with the key dates and tasks that need to be done.
- Use post-it notes to write down key points or anything that comes to mind that needs doing so that you do not forget
- To-Do lists (University/studies, work, home etc.)
- Forming small group study sessions to go through difficult key concepts or revising key aspects.
- Plan your time effectively – plan, plan and plan BEFORE you write!! Mind mapping is a great way to get all your thoughts down. THEN write a first draft of your essay. Allow yourself enough time at the end to proofread your work
- Breathing exercises! (breathe in for six, hold for six and breathe out for six – do this at least five times SLOWLY!)
- Use the Pomodoro technique to help with time management – e.g. stopwatch/timer of 20 minutes study followed by a 5 minute break. If you do study for 45 minutes, it’s essential you take a 15 minute break.
- Time blocking is also good to have in your calendar for seeing how much time you have and see where you have meetings. Then, you can allocate the amount of time for each bit that you want to tackle. E.g. 1pm-1:30pm meeting; 1:30pm-3pm Social essay. BUT don’t be too strict if things don’t go according to plan, this is just a guide to help you get started!!
- DO NOT leave things to last minute! You will not perform your best and cramming information in will make it difficult as you need time to go through key concepts in-depth. Also, you are more likely to make mistakes and not form strong arguments, for example.
- Celebrate each of your successes – rewards are key!! E.g. watching one of your favourite films, cooking one of your favourite meals, ordering a takeaway, eating ice cream etc.
Looking after your wellbeing and managing stress
It’s important to congratulate yourself for getting this far into your course. WELL DONE! 😊 Life is challenging particularly with balancing your studies, any part-time work and also making time for yourself and partaking in social activities and hobbies. We have a lot to deal with in our day to day lives and it can be very challenging when you are having to deal with a lot.
Here are some of my top tips for managing stress:
- Drink lots of water
- Take frequent breaks
- Get enough sleep (at least 7 hours!!)
- Ask for help when you are struggling – DO NOT suffer in silence! Reach out to your peers, family, close friends and student support. Also, there are support/help lines such as the Samaritans and Shout who are there to listen.
- Listen to classical or jazz music whist studying – it will help you feel calmer and bring greater clarity
- Book a 1-to-1 appointment with the Library’s Learning and Teaching team – they are there to assist you whether that being academic writing, referencing, study skills and time management to name a few.
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables – bananas contain a lot of potassium and great for an energy boost! Getting the important vitamins and minerals will make us feel more positive in ourselves!!
- Exercise – Research shows that at least 30 minutes of active exercise per day improves your mental health and wellbeing!!
- Planning time for social activities and hobbies!!
- Rest, rest and rest!! – Time to switch off completely from work and studies!!
- Make lots of time to see your family, friends and people that uplift you – we all need social contact and relationships are very important for our mental health and wellbeing. Us humans are social creatures and we all need some social interaction no matter whether you are an introvert, ambivert or extrovert
- Surround yourself with nature – Go on nature walks, hikes, be surrounded in open-green spaces, going on mindful walks, listening to sounds such as the birds tweeting away, smelling lovely flowers etc. Being alone in a quiet environment is highly recommend for this to work – silence is golden!!!
- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 technique – Paying attention to 5 things that you can hear, 4 things that you can feel, 3 things that you can hear, 2 things that you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
GOOD LUCK! You can do it 😊
For help, advice and resources whilst studying at NTU, take a look at the following for sources of support.
Support from NTU
Self-Care books in NTU’s libraries
Silvercloud: SilverCloud is our online system designed to help with a range of mental health issues.
Health and Wellbeing resources
NTSU Information and Advice service
Wellness in Mind: Advice and support for anyone in Nottingham experiencing issues with their mental wellbeing
Student Minds or Student Space
10 Keys to happiness
Mind
Papyrus
CALM
Healthy NTU 