There is a lot to love during university life, including independence, new friends, lengthy breaks in-between class and working towards your degree. On the other hand, there is an ominous time each semester that makes most students bite their nails – exam time.
Exams might seem overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. An essential part of the exams is a preparation for them, which determines your success in exams and finish the semester. Here are a few tips on how to study for those all-important exams.
1. Prepare Your Study Area
The worst thing you can do is to study where you sleep. Having a separate space, whether it be the breakfast bar, dining room table, or a desk, puts you in the right mind and helps you work better.
Try to give yourself the best environment to focus in by choosing a cosy nook in your house with enough light, a comfortable desk and chair. Also, surround yourself only with the things you’ll need – like books, stationery, notes or even motivational posters, as well as healthy snacks and plenty of water on hand. This is simple yet effective when you are trying to focus on your studying.
2. Change Your Environment
It might also be a great idea not working in your student bedroom but finding a comfortable (and affordable) coffee shop with free wifi to complete your work. If you happen to live in a warm climate, it is a great idea to take all of your necessities such as a laptop and notes, and enjoy a study session in a park. Alternatively, there are always university and public libraries that can be a great place to study, to get some inspiration and motivation by watching other people read and work, and a quiet place to take the edge off and feel comfortable doing a productive study session. When your entire life is cornered to one bedroom in a small student house, it can be overwhelming. Still, by changing up your location for studying or working on projects, it can breathe a new life into your productivity and really boost your motivation. Just don’t forget to take occasional breaks while you’re at it.
3. Plan & Split Your Day
When you are studying for exams, start by creating a routine and dividing your time into classes, subjects, topics or modules. Include essential things like breaks, meals, exercise and sleep. A good idea to use a calendar to manage your time, set goals and keep your study plan on track. This will not only help you avoid missing assignments, let you count down the days until your exam but also allow you to focus on one task at a time and even break up your study time.
And most importantly, try to be flexible. Don’t throw away your schedule if it doesn’t go exactly as you planned. Make some adjustments and keep on going!
4. Keep Healthy
When it comes to exams time, somehow there never seems to be enough time for basic things like exercise, healthy eating and sleep. Taking care of your health and general wellbeing will help you study at your best by improving your mood, memory and energy, and keeping those stress levels down.
Getting quality night’s sleep (7-9 hours), eating three meals, sticking to healthy snacks and staying hydrated within the day will give you the fuel needed to help you concentrate. If you are feeling a bit tired, try walking outside for some fresh air and get moving. Practising 20-30 minutes of exercise is considered a good daily habit, but even a quick walk around the block between study sessions will be useful.
Also, for the best restful sleep, try to avoid screens for about an hour before bedtime and refrain from caffeine intake for 4-6 hours. Instead, try to create a relaxing routine like reading a book or having a long soak in a bath to give yourself a bit of time to unwind and fall asleep easier.
5. Say ‘No’ To Distractions
Deep focus is the key to study effectively. After all, TV or Instagram and Facebook feed aren’t helping you study. Therefore, you need to eliminate potential distractions as much as possible. Make sure to cut bigger tasks into small, achievable steps with a time limit, which can help to break the inertia of putting tasks off.
In case you do find yourself turning to your phone or laptop to procrastinate, consider taking a proper break instead. It is considered much more effective to have shorter, frequent bursts of intensive learning rather than longer and less concentrated periods of revision. Make sure to take regular breaks away from your study area and do something different. Exams are a lot of work but don’t forget to unwind from time to time, have fun and see friends in moderation too.
6. Try Out CBD Products
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a natural remedy intended to provide various health benefits and healing properties due to the interaction with the complex endocannabinoid system of the body. This system plays a vital role in regulating many processes occurring in an organism such as memory, learning, concentration, sleep, stress, pain, immune response, etc. Positive effect on the endocannabinoid system means that intake of CBD oil can help to decrease stress and anxiety, promote better concentration and mood, diminish pain, regulate sleep and even reduce acne breakouts, which are common for students under pressure.
To experience the advantages of cannabidiol, CBD market offers different options such as CBD gummies, oils, capsules, vapes, drinks and many others. You can even boost your energy levels with CBD-infused coffee that will balance out the caffeine effects and eliminate any anxieties. If you cannot go without your coffee fix, then you will love CBD coffee, and it is perfect for anyone who likes coffee but hates the caffeine rush, as CBD coffee eliminates this and instead improves brain function which is ideal for a long working day. If you would like to explore more about CBD and find the best CBD products, check out Alphagreen.
