EXAM 101 – Socializing and exam time

It’s well known that a lot of students become hermits during exam time. The horror stories of people camping out in libraries, and other roommates not leaving their room for days on end exist – and mostly are true.

In my first exam period, I spent hours a day in the same room going over and over my material in a frenzied state. By the time it came to my exam I barely knew what the sun looked like let alone the latest social dramas.

I hadn’t managed to understand the concept of balance and when it came to the summer I certainly suffered for it. To be honest I can’t even conclusively confirm that all that time spend locked away from other people even made me more productive or got me better grads. I t depends on what kind of person you are – but some level of socialization is required (And talking to the pizza delivery man doesn’t count!).

However, it’s impossible to not be a social hermit with all the work that university brings – and high school senior years – I know. I’m not expecting you to go out every night in fact I’d advise against it. Studying with a headache is next to impossible.

According to Forbes the relentless focus on grades is fading as the meaning behind the grade becomes meaning less and the grades are more based on consumer need than actual grade value. The current job market is turning away from your GPA and placing more value on the individual skills that the person brings to the job. The current advice from the odyssey author Courtney Lynn Barber is to remove your GPA from your resume after you receive your first job.

While of course your GPA will be important if you’re applying to a graduate program like medical or law school, don’t rely on its importance for jobs outside of the academic world. 57% of recruiters in a 2015 Jobvite Survey said that your GPA was irrelevant to the job search. In contrast 88% if recruiters agreed that a ‘culture fit’ was more important and 51% believed that references were very important for a successful candidate.

So, a less iron grip on your hermit ways when studying can ultimately benefit you. Here are five ways I like to get myself out of the room and chatting with someone else during exam time.

1.      Invite someone over to study with you

Inviting someone over to study with you can be wonderful way to keep in contact with someone without stressing about losing precious time that you could spend studying. Having another person with you can encourage some light conversation to occur while you continue working through whatever task you’re working on.

If you struggle to remain focus with others set a period for which this person will be over and work out a set list of tasks that you will get done. It also helps to reward yourself after the study session, which you can only have if you’ve completed all those tasks.

Some good examples of rewards include;

Ø  Going out briefly with your friend afterwards

Ø  Going for a long walk

Ø  A yoga session

Ø  A movie or two episodes of your favorite series

2.      Go out to a café for a set period with someone

Unlike above if you give yourself a set period where you are not studying and instead focus on the moment you can find yourself receiving the benefits of both enjoying time with friends and returning to your studies fully rejuvenated.

It is always best to plan to spend an hour in a meal with someone plus travel time (for me that’s half an hour, fifteen minutes each way plus one hour to eat and talk for a little bit). An hour and a half can be the perfect way to break up the middle or a reward at the end/beginning of the study day. Sometimes just that simple break can leave me feeling refreshed and rewarded with a keen focus on what I must do ahead.

This kind of break is especially important because a lot of students deprive themselves of any time away from their studies. This means that they burn out quickly and often end up wasting hours in front of their computer or tv trying to make themselves feel less sad and tired. It’s just like quitting sugar and fatty foods these kinds of activities make us feel happy and it’s not a clever idea to quit immediately, allow yourself small doses every day so that you can work for longer.

3.      Join in a live study session

You can find lots of studyblr youtubers online who run live study sessions. You often sign up for them beforehand using a google form and then log on at the right time to participate in the session. These are great opportunities that allow you to focus on your work with a group of other people, but the chat in the room keeps you connected to the real world.

These rooms are also great because you’ll be interacting with a lot of students who are facing the same struggles as you. This can be a great stress reliever and not leave you feeling as if you’re the only one who is going through a tough time – you’re definitely not!

4.      Use social media while studying

In contrary to the advice of most bogs social media can be a motivating factor for people while studying. If you can maintain a list of tasks that need to be done and continue working through them while you scroll through non-active social medias like Pinterest or Tumblr these can be great ways to keep your mind away from isolating thoughts and instead thinking positively.

For me using social medias also makes me feel like the activity is less of a punishment and more of a way to entertain myself throughout the day. This can be a major relief during exam time as I know that the studying can feel overwhelming and be a major demotivating factor for many people.

Other things that I like to do while studying is to use YouTube to watch videos to provide some background noise. This creates a nicer atmosphere, much like working in a café, except that you can pause the noise when it gets too loud.

5.      Study in a public place

Studying somewhere public not only makes you feel like you must study, because people will know if you’re not – it can encourage you to remember that there are things outside of this one exam. The major risk that you run when you choose to shut yourself in and focus only on your exams is that it is easier to catastrophize. Catastrophizing occurs when you exaggerate the consequences of one event. For example, ‘if I fail this exam my entire degree will fall through.’ This is a highly unlikely circumstance, but when you have nothing besides your exams to think about it is a very easy trap to fall into.

That is why I recommend trying to study in a public area at least twice a week. If you can share a table with non-students so that you can see that activities that they are joining in on.

Best of luck with your studies- and remember them ore time that you give yourself to study the better off you will be!

Lulu Hensman

  

EXAM 101 - After the Exam

There’s a whole lot of energy spent on exams – so much so that a lot of us experience an energy slump for a t least a month afterwards. Plus, if you’re anything like me you’re also repressing fearful thoughts of what those upcoming grades are going to be like. Sometimes, no matter how hard you work the idea it may not pay off just won’t leave you alone. So here’s five things you can do to help push past that time until after the grade release (When you can really relax).

1.      Sleep and watch movies

Obviously this activity has to feature on the list. There’s no better way to take your mind off something than laying, curled up in bed mindlessly whiling away hours watching youtube videos. I certainly have lost two or three Saturdays in the exam break just sitting in bed all day and enjoying the hallmark channel.

This can help you feel well rested – and really happy. After all that studying before the exam it’s a definite that you missed out on some awesome blockbusters (all the good things seem to come out while you’re busy!). Plus you can scroll through Netflix to find your next tv series binge  - and get halfway through it before you have to go out and be productive again.

2.      Exercise and eat healthy

I know this is probably the most boring thing on the list – but please don’t let after the exam break be your excuse to cram yourself full of sugar. It only takes a simple google search to see all the medical evidence that shows you that unhealthy eating is linked to an unhealthy and unhappy mind. There are strong links between salt, sugar and depression, so unless you really want to fight the emotional slump this holidays keep your unhealthy eating in check and instead indulge in some of these delicious, healthy treats.

Homemade Vegan Icecream (no machine required)

Delicious veggie quesadillas

Moroccan Chicken Goujons – with creamy sauce  

3.      Plan social and work activities

Keep yourself busy and out of the bed (for a little while anyway) with a few well planned events. Catch up with friends and attend some semi-educational events to keep your brain activity and maybe get a little head start on next semester’s work.

Go out with your friends and talk about something other than school for a while. After spending six weeks doing nothing but fast tracking your way through a ton of work you may be surprised how hard it is to discuss something other than your economics minor. But it’s definitely healthy. If all you can talk about is your work load – you’re going to end up with fewer brunch dates!

But, if you’re really struggling to pick up some conversation starters and you’re getting sick of those delicious café brunches perhaps you should try your hand at some resume building. Use an app like meetups to find a local volunteer group. You’d be surprised how many opportunities are thrown about without a single campaign on facebook. These apps give you exclusive access to the most exciting volunteering opportunities.

But, if you’re a little strapped for cash try doing some freelance work on Fiverr. It’s a popular way to earn a little bit of cash to support your holiday adventures. You can work in editing, writing, social media, blogging etc and then add your experience to your resume – super simple! Alternatively, for five dollars you can have anything done, from a hand drawn cartoon to a custom designed website – it’s super easy.  

4.      Plan for your future academic endeavors

There’s something special about looking forward to the next academic year. It’s hat we used to do in primary school when the idea of learning was just as thrilling as dozens of unscheduled days are to us now. Plan out what stationary you’re going to get, the color schemes of your next study guides and look through some key topics for your next semester.

Plus, don’t be afraid to skim through the job offers of the firms/companies you’d like to work for when you graduate. A lot of big companies have blogs which write excerpts on what their new employees and interns are up to – this can help you gain some insight into what the company looks for in a future employee.

5.      Practice some hobbies

Of course you should never neglect your extra curriculars! Take some time to invest yourself in your current hobbies. Psychology suggests that the best day schedule requires time reserved for creativity and relaxation. This is because, as much as we may wish it was, your brain is not a machine. It requires alternative outlets to be functional and operate at maximum capacity. Use these summer hours to give yourself the rest and relaxation that is needed.

If you’re looking for new hobbies to join in don’t be afraid to try out local classes, events or watch some youtube tutorials to find out which hobbies you might like to delve further in to. Hobbies can also be great opportunities for networking and finding new friends.

Popular activities like team sports and social groups can be great ways to connect with new colleagues or to erode away some tension in an awkward job interview. Use these experiences to your advantage and you won’t regret your summer hours.

Enjoy!

Lulu.