HR4RS stamp
David Viera
January is approaching and with it comes exam time, where students are evaluated on their knowledge. There are some who are forward-thinking and prepare them in advance so as not to have time problems, while other students prefer to leave it until the last minute. However, both agree on the same idea: one of the most difficult points is to start studying. Not knowing where to start, the content to prepare or how to do it is usually a source of anxiety and overwhelm.
From the unit Healthy University of the URJC A series of tips are offered to be able to approach the exams correctly.
Basic tips for facing exams
“Faced with any demanding stage such as exam time, we must take into account a series of aspects that focus on our self-care and our performance, since health and learning go hand in hand,” explained from Universidad Saludable.
We highlight key recommendations on how to take care of core habits (diet, sleep, physical activity and emotional management), since if they are not treated, performance will worsen when it comes to exercise. study; to plan study days well, taking into account when we function better, with greater energy; or avoid distractors and “thieves” of attention such as mobile phones, social networks or notifications.
Other important tips to follow are to take short but effective breaks during exam preparation, focus as much as possible at the moment of study, or use breathing to reduce stress and tension.
Recommended study locations
“Each person has different needs, but in general we have to look for spaces without noise or distractions because studying requires maintaining concentration,” says the unit, explaining that, if it is not possible to study in a noise-free environment, we can use earplugs to isolate ourselves. , ask our family not to interrupt us while we study, etc.
In addition, they highlight the importance of taking care of the temperature, making it a cool place to avoid drowsiness, and having, if possible, natural light or good lighting. They also emphasize taking care of posture and having a suitable chair in line with the height of the table to make a 90º angle with our legs and avoid overloading the lumbar, back...
Recommended Methods
From Universidad Saludable it is argued that there is no effective method for all people because each discipline has its particularities and is not studied in the same way for a subject based on problems in which the understanding of the formulas and the realization of problems similar may be optimal, rather than a more mechanical subject in which memorization plays a fundamental role.
They also explain that the methodology will change depending on the type of exam we have. If it is development, they recommend making summaries and understanding the synthesis of those summaries well, and if it is type test work more from the schemes and key ideas because recognition works more than memory itself.
In any case, making summaries and diagrams on paper helps us assimilate the contents, so we must avoid simple reading, especially if it is exclusively through screens.
What to do when in the middle of studying we get overwhelmed and/or feel anxious
“Facing exams means putting yourself to the test and that can pose a threat to many students, which is why it is common for us to have states of certain anxiety and stress,” they comment from the unit. "When we talk about moderate levels, we have to take it as a response that can help us be more focused on studying, but we have to manage it so that it doesn't grow and turn against us."
One of the key guidelines that Universidad Saludable explains is how important it is to breathe properly, take those short pauses every once in a while, “burn off” that stress with a little exercise, in addition to paying attention to the thoughts we have that often “ they boycott”: you are going to fail, you are not going to have time. “You have to be aware of them and change them to ‘now I am studying and doing what I can.’”
If anxiety grows and we do not know how to manage it frequently, perhaps we need to work on tools to learn how to do so. To this end, Universidad Saludable teaches
“I'm not able to handle this situation”, “I feel like I'm not there”… what can be done?
Each situation is different and there are no good recipes for all cases. Sometimes we have to know how to give up and say “I can't handle this” if we see that it is unapproachable due to our circumstances, other times there are certain tools that we can work on to be more capable of handling the situation: plan better, ask for help or prioritize what is most important. .