Say goodbye to the str-essay

Deadlines! Exams! Coursework! Not the best triptych of words you want to hear in the last term of the year. Unfortunately, one of the perks of being a Warwick student is never being that never far away from another piece of work. Assessed essays wait around the corner, dressed up in all their glory trying to lure you in and trap you in a state of perpetual depression. Hope however, should not be lost for the ominous cross-dressing beast that is emblazoned ‘stress’ is in fact not that difficult to handle.

Take into account your own strengths and weaknesses:

Pre-planning your approach to studying is a way of controlling stress. For serial procrastinators, starting as early as possible means you can afford to waste time now and again and will be less likely to find yourself with 5,000 words to write and 12 hours to go. For those with a mind constantly on the move, perhaps changing your note-keeping style will help keep you focused. Equally, you could try using buzzwords to trigger your memory and steer you back onto the rightful course of revision. Students who find it stressful when it comes to answering questions under exam conditions could benefit by focusing their revision more proportionately towards practice questions and asking for feedback from seminar tutors.

Avoid stress bingeing:

Sometimes, carrying all the stress from revision can lead you to the fridge, where you will find yourself endlessly consuming goodies that set you back at least 2 weeks at the gym. Continuously updating and checking Facebook is another trap students can fall into. Admittedly, it is not that easy to discipline yourself but maintaining a healthy balance of work and ‘play’ is something that can be achieved with practice. Why not try an incremental approach? A small step goes a long way and at the end of the day, the benefit will be greater. Also, try to avoid discussing your progress with friends: if they reveal that they are, in fact, much further than you, it might put a kink in your steel.

Rewarding yourself after each successful week:

I could bore you with scientific studies and evidence about the health benefits of exercise and daylight but the best method of persuasion is to remember how good you felt after your last big workout. On a similar level, doing things with your friends in gaps can help you relax. Often, it is recommended for people to take breaks where they can completely shut themselves off from their work for a short while. When you return to work you can carry on working with a fresh state of mind ready to soak up all the useful knowledge core texts provide.

Don’t be afraid of a little self-gratitude:

Finally, remember that the work you hand in and the exams you endure are an achievement in itself. Only a few more weeks separate you and the light at the end of a murky tunnel. Do not forget that you are in the University of Warwick, an establishment that has some of the highest rankings in the country, showing a glimpse of how great being at this University is. If you work hard and finish your degree with something to show for it, employers will be clawing at your ankles for you to come and work for them. See the work as something exciting and to be proud of!

So put a little music on, grab your highlighter and textbook. Good luck!