It’s here. It’s study season.

All of us would rather do bury ourselves in the comfort of an Ostrich Pillow:

Struggling with your coursework?

Fear not, you can reduce your exam anxiety by:

1. Set a Schedule

Setting a study schedule and study plan. Here’s a blank timetable for you to fill out your times. Make sure to include breaks!

There are also a plethora of online study planners that you can use – Just Google “Online Study Planner”. It’s important to remember to:

• have realistic study goals: ask yourself – what can you actually achieve with one week of study?
• understand what is most important: use the Eisenhower method
• schedule accordingly with the Pomodoro technique:  25 minutes study, then a 5 minute break. After each Pomodoro block, schedule a longer break – rest your mind
• block out distractions on your computer and phone: we like to use the Chrome extension StayFocusd. Others include: Cold Turkey and SelfControl. 
• take an actual break. We recommend some sort of physical activity to get oxygen into you. 20 minutes of exercise can boost your exam performance. If you’ve already been staring at your monitor/laptop for hours of study – do something to rest your eyes as well.

2. Check for revision lectures

Check with your lecturers/Moodle for any learning center and help sessions that are offered for your classes. Especially in Week 12 – attend your revision lectures! You’ll get the most out of the session if you attempt some of the revision questions set – even if you make a quick attempt before class.

For some info, see here.

3. Check out HAL’s Learning Skills Advisors

• Drop in sessions (week 12 and SWOTVAC) at the Hargrave-Andrew Library to chat to a Learning Skills Adviser about preparing for your exams. Find more information here.
• Check out Language and Learning online for advice about exam preparation and strategies.

4. Practice for exams

Do your tutorial questions and download past exam papers by Searching for your unit code.

5. Understand and prepare your exam strategy

Improve your exam performance and go through some exam strategies.

• Here’s a list of things you can do to improve your memory retention for exams! Our favourite is to associate a certain chewing gum flavour during study with memory.
• What music should you listen to? It’s controversial, but what we like to do is choose something soothing while you’re doing general revision, but when doing practice exams – sit them in silence! That’s because the actual exam room is silent too.

Also see our Student Resources Tab for more information.

Too stressed?

Look after your mental health by eating healthy, sleeping enough and getting exercise.

FOOD: Check out our FREE SCIENCE BREAKFASTs to get enough food to start a productive study session (academic performance is positively associated with brekky!) There’s also a MSA Stress Less week  to fill Week 12 full of free bbqs, morning teas and even a petting zoo!

EXERCISE: Hit the Gym after Studying to Boost Recall

MEDITATE: There are Mindfulness Meditation Sessions that are great for managing stress. The Smiling MindApp is great for on-the-go Mindfulness. Being mental prepared to face the exam room and dealing with exam anxiety is as important as physical well being of your body during exam period.

TALK: If you think you need to, you can talk with a counsellor.