When exam season comes knocking on your door, you may feel overwhelmed, stressed, unprepared and demotivated - particularly as a first-year student. With a busy exam schedule, a sometimes distracting vibrant student life and fear of failure looming, many students don’t know where to begin or delay preparations, adding to the season's stress. But exam periods do not need to drive you to the edge. North-West University (NWU) has a range of support services, advice, and strategies that are designed to help improve your mental health and prepare well for upcoming exams.

Before you sit staring blankly at your exam timetable, read through these simple (but effective) exam preparation strategies, stress and time management tips and techniques.

Manage Your Schedule

Every well-prepared first-year student needs a solid approach to achieve success. How can you study efficiently and retain information better?

1. Create a plan

Write a study schedule by dividing your syllabus into manageable chunks assigning specific topics to each study session. This will help you categorise all the material you need to cover into conquerable sections, helping to quell feelings of overwhelm.

2. Practice active learning

Simply reading through pages of information will not easily assist you in storing information. Engage actively with the material by summarising your notes, teaching concepts to a friend, creating mindmaps and testing yourself.

3. Revise past papers

Get used to the types of questions and format of exams by going through past papers, familiarising yourself with the kinds of questions that would typically appear.

4. Join a study group

Share your knowledge and benefit from student life by studying alongside fellow students. This assists in seeing the material from a different perspective and clarifying questions you may have.

5. Seek help from staff

If you have a question, don’t delay asking for assistance from your lecturer or tutor. Professors and faculty members are just an email away and would be happy to help.

Manage Your Anxiety

Stress is a natural response to a period of testing, but finding techniques to manage it effectively is key to optimising your personal well-being, mental health and overall performance.

Here are some helpful tips to alleviate exam-related stress:

1. Practice mindfulness and meditation. Depending on your religious beliefs, prayer, breathing exercises, and meditation can quell nerves. Practice these when your fears begin to take hold of your mind.

2. Get active. Physical activity facilitates the release of healthy endorphins and helps get your mind off the study material for short periods. A quick gym session, a run around campus or a walk with a friend can help blow off some steam, boost your mood and recalibrate for your next study session.

3. Eat healthy. Maintaining a good diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can improve concentration. Avoid sugary snacks and caffeine, which are known to increase anxiety and lead to energy crashes.

4. Get enough sleep. Burning the midnight oil is often a poor strategy for success, leading to a slump in performance the next day. Aim for 7 and 8 hours of sleep to improve memory.

5. Practice relaxation and calming techniques. Block out distracting noises or people. Listen to calming music and take frequent breaks, enjoying the vibrant student life on offer at NWU.

Manage Your Time

Last-minute cramming and all-nighters are neither effective nor realistic goals for exam success and overall well-being. Careful time management strategies are crucial to helping you cover all your material:

1. Set achievable goals. Know what you want to achieve in each study session. As you tick them off your list you gain a sense of accomplishment as well as keeping your studies on track.

2. Choose priorities. Identify the most challenging and important topics and cover those first, leaving the less important ones for last.

3. Set your stopwatch. Time yourself and study for short periods (for example 25 to 30 minutes), taking short breathers between sessions to improve concentration and reduce the likelihood of burnout.

4. Remove distractions. If the notifications from your vibrant student life leave you open to distraction, rather turn them off. Rather check them during a study break.

5. Review your notes regularly. Opt for frequent revision for improved memory instead of quick cramming, which generally results in lower information retention.

The NWU Advantage

North-West University offers several student counselling and development services to all first-year and undergrad students aimed at optimising your potential for success.

These services have two main aims:

1. To be a support structure for students in times of need.

2. To help you develop and reach your optimal wellness potential in all dimensions of student life, including emotional, social, physical, connectivity, growth, and influence.

Students are welcome to partake in any of the following services:

• Individual and group psychotherapy and counselling

• Life and leadership skills courses and personal development

• Psychometric assessments for current and prospective students

• Career guidance and counselling

• Workshops enhancing the first-year experience, including adjusting to campus life and general development

• Support for students with disabilities.

Your Exam Success Starts Here

While the exam period can be daunting, with the right preparation, it should not hinder your student life but rather enhance your academic performance.

Leveraging the vibrant student life (including helpful university support services at your disposal), stress management strategies and time management techniques, your overwhelming exam timetable can be conquered with confidence.