January Exams
Marketing Team - December 21, 2021
How to start the new year by acing those exams
This might sound counterproductive, but every student needs time off during Christmas to relax. Much like everyone else, for Students, Christmas holidays can be a hard and stressful time to switch off and enjoy themselves. Whether it be working, planning Christmas events or the worry of January exams. So, the first tip is:
Take time off during December
Use this period wisely or not so wisely, either way make sure you have some time off to reset your body and mind from the year you’ve just completed. It is important to reflect and reset your goals for the new year. This builds the foundations for another great year. Even better, start your first exams of the year with a successful result.
Routine
Now, you might hear often, ‘get your revision done early’ and ‘you have the rest of the day for yourself’. We are here to tell you that isn’t the case. We want you to find your own routine, what ever that may be for you. We understand that everyone has their own routine but many of us don’t find what works for us and our lifestyles. You might prefer exercising in the morning and getting your revision done in the evening before bed. You might be able to cram revise weeks before. You might have to start your revision months in advance and chip away at it slowly over time. The important take away is you should find what your strengths are with revision and use them. Once you get this it will flow, and you will be able trust in yourself to achieve the best grade you possibly can.
Sleep enough
With tip 2 being said the most valuable form of recovery is sleep. Mentally and physically it will reset you for another day of work. We recommend getting around 8 hours of sleep as this is the average for a grown adult. However, every human has their optimal time to sleep. Some people feel more tired for sleeping more and can be counterproductive for their day. Equally not getting enough sleep can result in having less energy and lack focus for the day ahead. Research and figure out your optimal time for sleep is, it could be 6, 7, 8 or 9 hours of sleep. Make a routine and form a body clock to make sure it all comes naturally, rather than dipping in out of different body clocks. Which we understand can be difficult being a student when going out only appears around the hours of 9pm and 4am, prime sleeping time.
Food
Food is fuel, and fuel is energy for you to work. Make sure you are eating a variety and balanced diet that hits your MACROs. This mean the amount of carbs, proteins, fats and nutrients you need in relation to your weight and goal. We expect students to eat more during exam periods due to the sedentary lifestyle that will come with reading and doing mock exams for hours on end. It is important to move regularly but understand the correct food to fuel your study sessions. And yes, a sweet treat and plenty of sugar is okay! Use it to reward yourself, you deserve to eat well and study well.
Phone Free Zone
Spend a proportion of your day and revision session away from your phone. Don’t worry the world isn’t going to change if you don’t see that Instagram story or reply to that text about a night out straight away. Spending some valuable time away form your phone each day can increase your productivity and focus you on the task in hand. It is recommended to wait an hour after you wake up before looking at your phone to focus you on a morning routine. Also, to spend another hour before bed away from your phone to help you unwind correctly, away from led lights and distracting videos or social media posts. When you are revising it is good to take breaks but when working we encourage you not to look at your phone in this time zone. Once on break you can consume as much phone as you want. Over the course of a day your breaks should get more regular and top up your focus.
Sometimes its not your day
It’s okay to have unproductive days and days where work is harder than usual, or you might not get as much work done. What is important is to forgive yourself and move on, as this does not define you but the way you react does. Wake up the next day wanting to work again, and the next day and the next day. Putting 100% in will always, always give you the results you want.
Our final tip would be to check out student minds for their support during the Christmas exam period or any exams in the future. They offer support during other worries in your life too, they can be a community to lean on when things are hard but also when things aren’t. Someone to talk to and share your problems with and solve.