Taking Care of Your Mental Health During the Exam Period

As a new blogger, let me briefly introduce myself: I earned a bachelor’s degree in Vietnam and a master’s degree in the Republic of Korea. (Both degrees are in Chemistry.) Currently, I am completing the Ph.D. program in Chemistry with Prof. Francesca Kerton (Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Award in 2019). My research focuses on “Electrochemically Switchable Organometallic based Transition Metal Catalysts Enhanced for Polymerization Reactions.”

Exam time is fast approaching, and everyone feels stressed with so many assignment deadlines, projects, and exams. Please take care of yourselves and protect your mental health. It’s my pleasure to share some tips for good mental health that I apply to my life.

Time and Work/Study Management
You should actively and efficiently manage your time when you study and work. You should know what you plan to do tomorrow, next week or even next month. Planning will prevent you from missing deadlines. I highly recommend you try to use Google calendar, which is a valuable tool for time and work/study management. On Google calendar you can add both work and study that you will do in the future. When I was a master’s student, I used Google calendar to manage my study and work life, and it helped me complete my master’s degree on schedule. I never missed any submission deadlines either.

Do Not Skip Meals
Some students skip meals and do not sleep well when finals approach. While skipping meals occasionally might not hurt our health, making a habit out of it or going to sleep on an empty stomach will undoubtedly affect your health in many ways. Especially when you have an important exam coming up. You will not have enough energy to study, and your mind will not be fresh enough to remember what you were able to study. Therefore, take your time to eat your meals and sleep at least six hours per day.

Exercise
Every semester, students pay a recreation fee. So, students should spend some of their time going to The Works to take advantage of the gym, the pool, or the different clubs it offers, like the volleyball or badminton. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores. I usually go to the swimming pool on the weekend to relax after a week of studying. It’s always a great time, and it helps me feel refreshed before the next week begins.

Talk to Your Friends
The best way to reduce stress during the exam season is to talk with your friends. You can chat, study or watch movies. I like hanging out with my friends, cooking meals at home, or video calling with my family when I have free time.  Moreover, you can develop your social skills by participating in some events or activities organized by the Graduate Student Union (GSU) or Teaching Assistants’ Union of Memorial University of Newfoundland (TAUMUN). You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or visit their websites for more information. Social interaction is essential for comprehensive development planning. Make more friends and expand your network.

I hope some tips in this blog can help you overcome the stress of exam season. Take care of yourselves, and I wish you all the best for the coming final exams. Good luck with your exams!

 

~ Nhan ~