University of London International Programmes - Official Student blog

And the countdown begins!

With almost about two months to the final exams of the University of London International Programmes’ EMFSS programmes, I’m sure we all are experiencing panic and stress. However, these are NOT conducive to the exam atmosphere. It not only hinders the capacity to memorize and comprehend, but also causes depression and anxiety leading to health issues. And I don’t think these are affordable at this point and time.

So here are some ways to manage your preparation and reduce the amount of stress you have on your mind before the exams:

1. Follow a timetable. Use the timetable designed in the Strategies for Success booklet that you receive with your study pack. It is the best way to organize yourself and your study patterns even in the last two months. Also, look through the tips given in the booklet on how to write in the exams.
2. Divide your days into tasks between the different subjects you have. This way, you will be study every bit of a subject each day without losing the information by both retaining and comprehending it.
3. Make room for something creative and fun every day. Go for a walk, read a novel, cook your favorite food, paint, or whatever it is that you do in your free time. It will relax your brain from the pressure, pulling you out of the strict environment for a while.
4. Discuss your revision patterns with friends and/or parents. It gives you opportunities of getting suggestions, altering the required ways of studying, and most of all, confidence on your preparation.
5. Sleep well. Yes, some people might not agree with me, especially those who think they need a lot of time to study and less sleep. But do not forget that sleep deprivation will badly affect the state of your mind. You will not be able to concentrate and that altogether will mess up everything. So you need to get a good night’s sleep to study for the next whole day.
6. Keep track of your diet. Eat properly, healthy food, on the right times during the day. Do not make yourself eat a lot and lose the energy to study. It will make you heavy, tired and lazy. And NEVER skip breakfast. You require a lot of brain power and this will help you control your stress by pushing away the worries.
7. Do not drink too much coffee, thinking it will boost your energy and awaken your brain. Because it will not. It will ‘hype’ you and make your thought process difficult causing a lot of confusion.
8. Keep yourself calm. Avoid any kind of other mental stress. Spend some quality time with your family. Have a good laugh with your friends.
9. Attempt the past papers as much as you can. Because in the end, you have to write in the exams. So practicing writing will allow to develop the habits of time management, retain the knowledge, and the cherry on top, give you confidence. Confidence is key. Fear is extremely dangerous for the examinations. You really need to get rid of it by writing more.
10. And last but not the least, think positive. Do not let negativity pollute your thoughts. It will ruin your views about hard work and struggle, and make you panic and stress a lot. And to add to that, you will also lose confidence on your preparation.

Finally, stress will only make it worse. So utilize the time efficiently, work hard, and be determined. Nothing in the world is impossible. You just need hard work, some intelligent strategies, and faith in yourself.

Good luck!

Sundus is studying for the BSc Sociology in Pakistan with support from Roots College International. The BSc Sociology is not available to new students from 2014, however you can still study for a Diploma for Graduates in Sociology.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2014 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Courses directed by LSE, Sociology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.