We Got This: Staying Strong Together Through Exam Season
AJ Magamura is a 4th year business student and marketing major. He is a student-athlete on the men鈥檚 soccer team and a student content creator. A big sports fan at heart, he can be found at the athletics complex either playing/training or cheering on his fellow athletes.
Being an athlete at 网曝吃瓜 and going through exams has been a unique experience and I have been able to get through it successfully over the years through a combination of discipline, support from friends, and trust in my abilities.
As exam season approaches, it鈥檚 a time that brings a mix of emotions for everyone鈥攕tress, anxiety, excitement, and joy. For first-year students, this may be your first experience navigating university exams, while for others, it鈥檚 a challenge you鈥檝e faced before. No matter where you are in your academic journey, this period represents both the test and the reward of our hard work over the semester. It may sometimes feel overwhelming and never-ending, but believe me when I say we鈥檝e got what it takes to make it through this feeling hopeful, motivated, and successful.
1. Start with a Plan, and Make Time Your Ally
Alright, let鈥檚 tackle time management first. As we鈥檝e heard tons of times before 鈥� we鈥檝e all got the same 24 hours, it鈥檚 just all about how we use them. If you lay out a clear study plan for yourself and make realistic goals about what you want to cover, you鈥檒l see steady progress. Remember we鈥檙e not competing for who can spend the most time in the library, but rather aiming to be effective, focused, and intentional in our study sessions.
2. Balance the鈥�Study鈥痺颈迟丑鈥�Breaks
Remember that pushing yourself is essential, but taking breaks is just as important. Breaks will look different for all of us; for some it鈥檚 taking time to yourself and doing a bit of skincare or maybe it鈥檚 playing a couple of games of Fortnite. These breaks are all about allowing your brain to recharge so that you can go into that next period of focus with a fresh perspective.
3. Acceptance, Not Perfection
Don鈥檛 let anxiety and the pursuit of perfection control the way that you learn. The truth is that: accepting where you are and how much you can achieve is more useful than worrying about what you don鈥檛 know. Focus on applying yourself to the best of your abilities with the knowledge that you do have, so that you can keep learning, and moving towards better results each time.
4. Control What You Can, Let Go of What You Can鈥檛
We cannot control the external aspects of our exam season, but we can control a lot of the internal things, like how we prepare, our confidence, and how determined we are to succeed. Consistency in our efforts is key 鈥� making sure that the best version of ourselves shows up every day and making an effort to truly learn and apply our knowledge. This brings success, even with the challenges along the way.
5. Turning Doubt into Confidence
It's natural to doubt whether we鈥檙e doing enough from time to time, if we鈥檙e capable enough, or simply if we鈥檒l remember what we studied. Never forget that we all feel that way sometimes. The best thing to do is channel that energy into every topic you review, and every concept you understand because all those small wins will add up and build a greater sense of confidence and trust in your abilities.
6. Patience and Resilience: The Unsung Heroes of Exam Prep
Always remember that good things take time. With every small step forward, we are building a foundation for success. Patience will be your best friend 鈥� some topics may require more time than others, and that鈥檚 okay. Pushing through these challenges will allow us to adapt and progress towards our goals.
7. Encouragement from Peers Makes a Difference
Lastly, do not forget the powers of our friends and peers. We鈥檙e all in this together and encouragement and motivation from one another can make a big difference. Whether it鈥檚 simply saying 鈥済ood luck鈥� before a test or having a shared study session, the support from people who understand what we鈥檙e going through can do wonders and uplift us.
Wrapping It All Up: Focus on the Journey and the Goal
As we prepare to take on this exam season, let鈥檚 always remember to focus on the academic journey we are on as a whole. Remember that the combination of knowledge, work, and determination is what will be most effective in moving towards our goals. Success isn鈥檛 just about the grades we get; it鈥檚 about how much we grow and develop as students and individuals. So, let鈥檚 make sure that we enter this season with our heads held high, full of confidence, and never leave an exam without saying that we gave it our best.
Good luck everyone - we鈥檝e got this!
Exam Prep Resources
There are lots of resources available on campus to support you during exams including instructor office hours, the , , Accessible Learning Services, and the .