Hey you. Yes you, the one procrastinating and reading this blog post - you should be studying!
Exam season is in full swing! That means a month filled with coffee, late nights, mind maps, summaries, past papers, coffee, youtube, procrastination and did I mention coffee? The struggle is REAL. But what better way to spend your study break than by reading up on exam and study tips from our favourite South African bloggers! They're all either students or recent grads (The end is in sight!) and, over the next few days, will keep us motivated to get through all the stress.
Abby from One Stiletto At A Time
So by the time this goes live I’ll finally have my Bcom Retail Management degree in hand, graduation was last Friday. I took 8 years to complete a 4-year degree. This was due to a number of factors including studying and working full-time. End of the day, it is something no-one can take away from you and completely worth it. Don’t compare yourself or situation to others.
So by the time this goes live I’ll finally have my Bcom Retail Management degree in hand, graduation was last Friday. I took 8 years to complete a 4-year degree. This was due to a number of factors including studying and working full-time. End of the day, it is something no-one can take away from you and completely worth it. Don’t compare yourself or situation to others.
My number one study tip is - Persevere. My favourite saying is “everything can be achieved with baby steps”. So don’t look at an exam or subject as one task. Break it down and keep at it.
How I balance work and studying... Make time every single day to study. Procrastination is something we all struggle with but when you’re tired after a long day of work, picking up a textbook isn’t easy. So make sure you set aside a time period and an achievable amount of study work to get through in that time.
How I stay sane during the exam period... I don’t! Just kidding. Exam time is a stressful time so make sure you look after your immune system, exercise or even just get some fresh air and try to eat well.
How I stay motivated when I don't feel like being productive... Create a study area, even if you don’t have the luxury of having an actual study or desk. Don’t study in bed. I’d make a space on the floor even and work there. It helped me to stay focused and then be able to relax when I’m in bed. Also, don’t keep your phone near you when studying. It’s a complete distraction!
- Abby from One Stiletto At A Time
Chantal from Channi Chic
My number one study tip
Start preparing well in advance & put in the work. This sounds so cliche' but it has really helped me. Start making notes of each study unit and summarize it in a way that you would understand best. When I felt demotivated I would pinterest - study tips and put together great motivational quotes and it really kept me going when times got tough! Once you know the content well, start testing yourself with previous exam papers as it will boost your confidence and prepare you for what is to come.
Finding the balance
So a bit of background. When I was in the process of completing my B.com Marketing Management Degree I was working a full time job and travelling extensively back and forth daily. I've been married for about 6 years so I was running a household along with trying to create exciting content on my blog. It was always a constant struggle to keep everything afloat. But it can be done. You will need to decide what is priority at that exact space and time & work from there. I took everyday as a new challenge and somehow everything just worked itself out. On the plus side. I do have an amazing supportive partner which made it all so much more easier to go through.
How to stay sane during the exam season
Is it even possible? Work out a game plan, there is a lot of sacrifices that goes into prepping for exam period. A month prior to me writing my final exam I advised all friend and family that I will not be able to go out for that month & they understood & supported me. I was strict in my plan but flexible in my methods. I spent many hours in the library preparing and the more I learned & understood the more motivated I got and the closer the end goal felt. It seriously is all about enthusiasm and how badly you want it. This was all I ever wanted for the longest time and hence going the extra mile was the only option.
In all honesty, we all sometimes feel demotivated. But I took it everyday as another chance for me to better myself. The journey to obtaining my qualification is not easy. It took a lot of hard work, a lot of tears, a lot of feeling not good enough, a lot of "put on your big girl panty" moments. In the end all I wanted was to make my parents proud & my husband proud. I will get to do exactly that, on graduation day (And she did - grad was last week! Whoop, whoop!).
- Chantal from Channi Chic
Blog: http://www.channichic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channichic/
Blog: http://www.channichic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channichic/
Andrea from The Fabulous Maven
Honestly, my number one tip is prayer! As cliche’ as that may sound, my faith as a Christian has
always played a major role in how I stay “sane” in general. I suffer from major anxiety and depressive symptoms, so praying & putting on my favorite praise & worship music helps a lot. Current fave is Lauren Daigle’s new album called Look Up Child ♥️
A close second, is meditating & a good face mask! I still suck at time management but I’ve learnt to take a step back and breath in the chaos of exam stress. I often find myself anxious about graduating as this is my final year at UCT (fingers-crossed) - I’m an over-thinker especially about “What if I fail or what if I don’t make it” .. the list can go on, so I like to remind myself that my worth is not found in a test score. So I put on a face mask and meditate for 15-20mins. I found this really cool app called OAK, the meditations are so simple and relaxing AND it’s free!
- Andrea from The Fabulous Maven
Cheyenne from Princess Warrior Blog
Hi, I’m Cheyenne, a final year Journalism and Media student. When you think final year, you probably think stress, late nights and coffee. Pretty accurate. But personally it’s turned into a bit more chaos, balancing working full time, being an entrepreneur and running my blog. Actually, it’s complete and utter chaos.
My number one study tip would be to create a good study area. Sounds a bit superficial, but trust me. A clean desk, some good stationary and no phone or TV in sight can make room for a lot more concentration.
Balancing so many responsibilities can get a little crazy, but I’ve found that setting daily goals are my best way of tackling everything. Whether it’s a journal, or your phone, simply listing what you need to get done for the day helps to give equal attention to everything you need to accomplish.
Lastly, my motivation for doing all of this is to debunk the myth that a woman can’t have it all. I want it all. The good marks, the awesome job, the successful blog. If that means tons of hard work, I’m all for it!
- Cheyenne from Princess Warrior Blog
Blog: http://princesswarrior.co.za
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheyenneprincesswarrior/
Gabriella from The Glam Vet Girl
Life is all about balance. Too many students are immersed in their studies that it becomes an unhealthy habit. I was one of these students until I discovered a creative outlet for myself where I could review beauty products and do makeup tutorials. It started out as a hobby but I soon learned that I could help out other women by recommending beauty tips and brands.
Of course I had to find a way to keep up with studying as well. So what I started doing was keeping a diary and planning dates for my reviews and posts to make sure I still have enough tome for tests and assignments. Planning is really important in every person's life because it keeps you in check and makes sure you're up to date with work, school and even have enough time for friends, families and hobbies. We always say we never have time but we actually have a lot of time we just have to know how to use it properly."
- Gabriella from The Glam Vet Girl
Blog: https://theglamvetgirl.wordpress.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1TlsrcJrldoaINtis-WIw/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglamvetgirl/
No comments
Post a Comment
Hey! I would love to hear your thoughts :)