Surviving Summer Assessments

Hello everyone!  

Exam and deadline season is here so I thought I'd give you some tricks and tips on surviving the Summer Term. Academic weapons are said to have followed these steps for academic success.  

Do NOT Cram.

Finishing everything in a day is cool but prioritising your stress management and spreading your workload is much cooler. That’s right I went there. Try not to cram a lot of work into a short period of time. All you’re going to do is stress yourself and wish you hadn’t done it.  

Try splitting up your revision for exams and your assignment writing into chunks and make a REALISTIC revision schedule. You’re not going to learn an entire module in a day or write a 3,000-word essay in a night.

BUT, you can finish a chapter in a day, or perhaps a few paragraphs of an essay. So, don’t be hard on yourself and manage your time well! 

Remember your ID for exams!! 

If you do not bring an acceptable form of ID, you will be turned away from your exam. Remember that failing to sit an exam because you forgot your ID is not an acceptable extenuating circumstance.

If you arrive at campus and realise you have forgotten to bring any ID, there will be a helpdesk available for you to obtain a one-time use ID for an exam. This station will open one hour before exams and close again thirty minutes after exams start. Time lost obtaining this temporary ID will not be given back in your exam.

If you forget your Student ID card, the following alternative photographic ID will be accepted (a physical copy is needed, not a picture on your mobile phone!)  

• Valid Passport 
• Photo ID driving licence  
• Government Issued National photo ID card  

Fuel your body and brain

It’s so important to ensure you’re eating enough and drinking enough water. Your brain needs the energy from proper fuel to ensure you can work to the best of your ability.

If it helps, why not try meal-prepping in advance with a few of your favourite meals to keep you going?  

You can’t be an academic weapon without having the energy to do so!  

Prioritise good sleep 

I love sleep. And I’m sure you do too! 

Avoid pulling all-nighters to meet deadlines (this is where tip 1 comes in handy) and ensure you’re getting 8 hours each night. Half-asleep exam or assignment writing is NOT guaranteed to reach true academic weapon capabilities.  

Give yourself a set time for each night when you’re going to switch off, do a facemask or something nice for yourself and GO TO BED. 

Make sure you give yourself breaks and rewards!

Work Hard, Play Hard.  

It's important to be kind to yourself during this period. It’s extremely stressful and you’re doing the best you can! After you’ve reached a milestone, whether that’s finishing a chapter of an essay or finishing revision for a module, TREAT YOURSELF!  

Make sure you’re taking breaks. Go out and hang out with some friends, get a sweet treat (my favourite option) or reward yourself with an episode of your favourite TV show (I’m a sucker for Grey's Anatomy at the moment). 

It’s important to de-stress - your friends, family and loved ones will help calm you down if you’re overwhelmed. Why not head to a society or sports social if you’re a part of one? 

Post Exam or assignment, Forget about it.  

Don’t get hung up with what you can’t change! 

I’m a bit of a sucker for this myself but it can be easy to fall down the rabbit hole of checking your answers after an exam with your peers or with a textbook.  

There is no point stressing yourself out about an exam when it's over, just focus your energy on the rest of your exams and assignments.

YOU’VE GOT THIS!  

You’ve worked hard and you’ve done the best you can. Whatever happens, happens and you should be proud of what you have achieved so far. It seems daunting and scary, but I promise you will make it out to the other end okay. <3