Exam season is quickly approaching, and everybody can feel it. Every student dreads the months of March and April because they have an upcoming paper, exam, or even project that they will have to turn in soon. However, everyone deals with exam stress differently, some relax by watching a comforting TV show, while others use the stress as motivation to study, or get all of their work in, even more (I personally prefer this option).
I have sent out a survey to current Writing Center Consultants asking how they deal with exam stress during midterms and finals season. The following methods mentioned can be used to help de-stress after studying for a midterm/final exam or drafting up a final paper.
Do Consultants Experience Anxiety or Feel Nervous Before Taking An Exam?
Mali (my cat) Portraying My Emotions During Finals Week
According to the survey, 90% (10 out of 11) consultants experience some sort of anxiety or nervousness before taking an exam (I'm jealous of the 1 person who doesn't). Generally, a lot of college students experience some sort of stress before taking an exam out of fear of not doing well. Personally, this worsens for me when I feel ill-prepared for taking an exam.
What Are Different Ways Consultants Deal With Exam Stress?
The Different Responses That I Received From Consultants
Listening to Music
Pepper (Angie's Cat) Laying Down while I have Spotify Playing on My Alexa
Beginning with the most popular option, listening to music can be very peaceful and relaxing. According to the survey, 60% of consultants combat exam stress by listening to music! Different students prefer different genres of music, such as classical, pop, alternative, rock, etc. I personally love to listen to music while I study and while I am de-stressing.
There are great playlists already pre-made on Spotify or Youtube that you can listen to relax before an exam. Just pop in your headphones, lay down, and listen :).
Socializing
Mali and Pepper Socializing
The last way that consultant help combat exam stress is by hanging out with their friends. According to the survey, 20% of consultants participate in this. It's good to get out, get some fresh air, and have a couple laughs with some friends. Whenever I can't study anymore, or feel too overwhelmed, I go out to eat with my friends.
Another way to socialize with friends is by creating study groups and keeping each other accountable. This way, you're studying but you can also hang out with your friends at the same time.
Mediation
Here is a Zen Picture of Mali
Meditation is a great way to combat exam stress (and 10% of consultants do it!). If you do happen to have time to study, I would recommend taking a couple minutes out of your day to watch guided meditation or focus breathing videos. This can really help you relax and take your mind off of whatever is bringing you intense stress.
You could also try journaling your current thoughts and feelings. It's good to have an outlet where you can pour it all onto one page and reflect as to why you're feeling stressed.
Watching Different Media Sources
Pepper Demonstrating an Accurate Representation of How I Sit While Watching Netflix
Watching videos or your favorite movie/TV-show is a great way to help combat exam stress. It helps take your mind off of what's causing you stress, in this case your exam. According to the survey sent, 10% of consultants watch their favorite movie or TV-show to help keep their mind off of the exam.
However, do not watch movies or videos in order to avoid studying!! Try to aim for only watching one video or episode when deciding to take a break in order to destress. My current TV-show obsession is Love on the Spectrum.
I hope that by reading this article you gained some insight as to what consultants do to help combat exam stress at the Writing Center!
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