Exam season is easily one of the most stressful times of the year for students. For some, it might even be the worst.  Now image how bad the season would be if you were sick! To prevent this, it’s important that you’re taking the necessary steps to cater to your health. Below are some tips to help you survive that dreaded time of year. And even if exam season has passed for you (thank goodness), just keep these tips in mind for the next time around.

When it comes to exam season, sleep is almost always the first thing that goes out the window for students. It doesn’t have to be this way! If you set your schedule up properly, you can find yourself catching a full night’s worth of sleep every day! The key to this is studying in advance. Far too many students begin studying for two or three days before the actual exam. Because of this, they find themselves pulling consecutive all-nighters. If you begin studying about a week in advance, you can spread your notes across more days and you’ll have with a few more hours each day to allocate to sleep! Also, don’t be afraid to take a nap once in a while. If you find yourself dozing off every other minute, you’re probably not retaining any information. In this case, you might as well just take a quick nap to re-charge yourself.

Believe it or not, a lot of students actually refuse to sleep at all because they fear sleeping in for an exam and missing it! Although it’s a valid concern, it’s definitely not healthy. Instead of pulling an all-nighter out of fear, set several alarms or ask a friend to set an alarm then give you a wake up call! This works especially well if you’ve got a roommate.

Your brain is like a giant battery that needs to be recharged often enough to keep it functioning properly. With all the craziness of exam week, many students forget to eat properly, opting for highly caffeinated beverages and chocolate bars instead. Not only is this unhealthy, but it will also work out for the worst in the end. Your body and your brain will be running low on energy which will ultimately reduce the amount of time that you can stay alert and retain information. To give yourself the energy that you need, take some time out of studying to have a well-balanced meal. In fact, you should set a daily schedule for eating so that you make sure you’re on the right track. It’s far too easy to get lost in the notes and readings that you have to do and forget about your healthy

One of the most important things that students forget to do is cater to their mental health. With hours of endless studying on the schedule, it’s easy to find yourself feeling down. If this is the case for you, take a few minutes every now and then to treat yourself!  Spending a few minutes with some friends or doing a bit of exercise will make you feel far more energized. You’ll be able to get back to your studies with a refreshed mind and perhaps a smile on your face too!