Tips for Final Exam Season
The final exams of the year are here and the feeling of “it is almost done” is here too. This year’s week of exam finish the 21 of April. Afterward many students are looking for ways to use their summer in the most productive way, or simply take a break from the hard and long school year.
Places like the Sir James Dunn Hall and the Harriet Irving Library in UNB starts to get packed with students studying and getting their final assignments done. This time of the year can be very stressful for students, that is why it is important to have strategies in mind.
In the Harriet Irving Library, the students have placed their suggestions for making studying easier and most important to do it in a smoother way, so you do not feel a great amount of work which is essential to not get overwhelmed.
Some of the suggestions went from have a good playlist to avoiding procrastination. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, taking a break and getting active by doing some exercise is essential to boost your energy and to promote a positive mood.
Exercises like yoga helps clear your mind. Besides yoga have positives impacts on your mental health, which is crucial to take care in these stressful moments.
Yoga instructor Christine Leger said these sessions help students with their breathing and getting in touch with their body.
“[Yoga] gets their body moving which is a good thing for students to be doing,” said Leger. “It helps to bring more mindfulness so every time there is anything stressful, students are a little more equipped to handle the stressful situations.”
Furthermore, eating healthy is crucial to consider, not just in the finals but in all times. It is common that during exams students have a lot in their minds and having a good three meals throughout the day might can go unnoticed.
Anna Jackson, the registered dietician from the University of New Brunswick Fredericton’s Student Health Centre, said having a good diet has a major impact on your performance.
“What we eat is important to ensure that we’re getting like a good balance of nutrients in our diet so that we feel good energy wise and aren’t at risk of having any vitamin or mineral deficiency,” said Jackson. “Making sure that you’re getting like a good carbohydrates or protein source a healthy fat with your meals and having that balance.”
Prioritizing goals and taking them one at a time could make the difference in students when having a lot of assignments and finals which can be overwhelming. Breaking down big projects or test preparations activities into a to-do list and checking them as you go can make the difference.
Diana Castillo, an international student finishing her second year in STU, said that having time to do all of her assignments has helped her with the workload that comes with the final exams season.
“Last semester, I had all of my final assignments for the same week and this semester I had time to like work on each one of them,” said Castillo.
Castillo also said that one of her motivations has been her family, which even though being so far from home, have giving her support and the comfort she needs.
Being in touch with your family, taking care not just of your nutrition, but your mental health, and taking breaks to get active are some of the tips that are important to consider when the final season comes to ensure you do your best.