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Eric Joseph

May 1st, 2018

Keep Calm and Revise On: A Guide to Surviving Exams

2 comments

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Eric Joseph

May 1st, 2018

Keep Calm and Revise On: A Guide to Surviving Exams

2 comments

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The moment we have all been waiting for…EXAM TIME! Almost every seat in the library is taken, the queue for the nearby coffee shops are longer than I have ever seen them, and the weekends no longer feel like weekends. What an exciting time to be an LSE Student! (Not really.) Jokes aside, exam time can be considered a stressful time for most people, but practising self care is extremely important especially during this time. Here is a guide to help make the revision and exam process less stressful:

1. Take a Break 
Studying for a long period of time can take a toll on you. I know so many people that just stay in the library all day and forget to take a break to eat. I used to not be a huge advocate for taking breaks, but breaks are super helpful to stay productive. I am not advising a long break, but some type of break to get your mind off all the studying doesn’t hurt. You don’t even need to thank me later for this tip, your brain and wellbeing will thank you for taking a break.

After a long day of revision, I treated myself to ice cream in China town

2. Stay in touch with friends
It’s easy to hide yourself from the world during exam period, but it can seem harder to keep in touch with friends. Especially during this time, we might think there is no time to see any of your friends. But in addition to study groups, messaging friends or taking a quick coffee break does not hurt every once in a while. I have found quick breaks with my friends to be a stress reliever from all this studying and revision work. It has made me feel like I am not alone. Being a support system for others during these stressful times can be very useful. We all are trying to do well, so if we can support each other along the way, it will make a big difference! The other day, one of my friends creatively changed a famous motivational phrase: She told me to not let exam period get the best of me. The more we stress, the less we will achieve. Taking inspiration from a famous motivational phrase, she told me to “Keep Calm and Revise On!”

A quick lunch break in Lincoln Fields with some mates

3. Create Study Groups
This might not work for everyone, but study groups can be very beneficial especially for classes with a long reading list. I have three study groups consisting of individuals in my program and seminars. Thanks to the LSE Library, we have been able to book study booths every week. In one of my groups, we meet every week to discuss one or two topics and the related readings and lecture notes. In each session, we talk about issues that confused us and we try to collectively find an answer. Initially, I hated the idea of group work, but it has made the revision process more effective. Whether you are meeting once or a few times, I highly suggest setting up a study group to share ideas and gain different perspectives and tactics to answer exam questions.

My wonderful study group

These are just some quick tips to survive the exam period. If you are feeling overwhelmed, LSE offers many resources to make the process less stressful. Throughout the month, the LSESU is hosting  some de-stress events and Student Wellbeing Services offers some counseling drop-in sessions. For most of us master’s students, the end of exams signifies the end of the finish line. After this, all we have left is a dissertation. With a whole month of exams ahead of us, it may seem like there is no end, but we just need to KEEP CALM AND REVISE ON!

About the author

Eric Joseph

Striving to be the poster child for work-life balance. Blogger of the Year 2017-2018

Posted In: Student life | Study: Masters | Study: PhD | Study: Undergraduate

2 Comments

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