Pressure During Exam Periods
Exam periods are the most stressful periods any student goes through, and over recent years there’s been a worrying increase in students turning to drugs in order to cope with the stress of it.
Studies have shown a large increase in teenagers and young adults using highly addictive drugs such as benzodiazepines, and in the UK and USA it is especially rife, the latter seeing a staggering five million overdoses due to it.
Visit rehab centres today, and the number of students battling through benzodiazepine withdrawal is quite staggering. Which is heartbreaking, because ultimately it’s not going to help your studies, but hinder them quite significantly.
So, how can you handle the pressure and stress of exam periods in a much more productive manner?
Firstly, keep it all in perspective
At the time, exams may feel like everything. Not getting the grades you want can feel like the most devastating and life-ruining of events. But that’s far from the truth. You can still be successful no matter what happens in your exams.
Many hugely successful people, such as Richard Branson, JK Rowling and legendary newsreader John Snow failed exams, but went on to have stellar careers. And there’s no reason you can’t either.
Be organised and form good habits
One of the main reasons many people begin to panic and turn to substances when studying is through a lack of organisation. Being organised breeds confidence, with you knowing just how much you need to learn and the exact time periods you wish to learn it in.
You can schedule that time in, but perhaps more importantly, schedule in downtime too, meaning that you will get plenty of rest and plenty of time to step away from the stress and relax.
During study periods, you can be organised within them too and set a number of good habits in place. Taking frequent breaks is good for you, while keeping blood sugar levels at a solid rate, by eating slow-release foods can also be useful. And, of course, stay hydrated!
Think about where works best for you when it comes to study, and make sure you take time to be active too, even if it’s breaking for an hour to go and do some exercise. It’s a good way to both destress and re-energise.
Get help from friends and family
There’s no shame in asking for help, and while friends and family may not be able to aid in the learning element of studying, they’ll always be on hand to rally around you and help relieve stress or help with any logistics, whether it be getting a lift to the library or joining you at break periods to escape a little from your studies.
Support can be so helpful during exam periods, and if you are struggling to cope, reach out to people. It’ll help take a load of your mind, ease stress and prevent you turning to dark corners that are only going to hinder your studies.
