It’s the most wonderful time of the… year?

 Without fail, every exam season I watch fellow students morph into second-grade versions of themselves in the blink of an eye. In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, imagine a strict diet of sweatpants, plain pasta and isolation. Exams can only signal two things in the minds of students: fear and the bare minimum in self-care.

 This exam season, I have personally decided to challenge this mindset. I am not suggesting that it is wrong to fear the uncertainty that lies ahead, but maybe neglecting most areas of our lives is what allows this fear to flourish?

 For a lot of students, personal style takes a back seat during exam week. Even I, someone who vows to never wear sweatpants in public, can be guilty of this. Personally, sweatpants do nothing for my self-confidence; I therefore now strategically dress myself according to what I feel most confident in during exam week. This positive feeling combats any negativity I might be feeling surrounding my exams. While some might view showing up to IWO in such a look as frivolous and a waste of time, I choose to see it as a commitment to my well-being. Try it for yourself and watch as your confidence translates into your exam performance!

At the end of the day, your environment is a reflection of your mind, and vice versa. Just taking five minutes away from studying to pick up the clothes off the floor will ease your mind. No longer will your focus be divided between inferential statistics and the need to clean.

Most importantly, eating during exam week: make sure you’re doing it, and doing it right. Food is responsible for providing us with energy and is also known to affect our mental health. By providing your body and mind with the proper nutrients during exam week, your brain will be able to absorb more information. It will also be prepared to take on any kind of questions on the exam without panicking – even the one referencing an article not mentioned in class. Food is fuel, toast is not.

 Decide where you draw the line and start committing to your well-being this exam season too; after all, we’re paying to let schools take advantage of it. Let’s not have to clean up our lives once it’s all over.

 So, remember: get some sleep, read something (that’s not an Instagram caption) and breathe.