lifestyle Exam stress and how to overcome it

Joshua Hughes, Editor, discusses the concept of exam stress and ways to alleviate it something that every student will experience, regardless of their year or course. rise the module into a digestible medium makes going over it much less of a chore.

EXAM. I don’t think there is a term more synonymous with stress, exhaustion, anxiety and just general fear. In close second comes eBart’s dreaded ‘Feedback Released’ email which many find too stressful to even open. And in third, seeing ‘Group Presentation’ on the PowerPoint during the first seminar or lecture, knowing that at some point you’ll be forced to place your degree in the hands of others and worse, speak to them.

So how do you deal with exam stress? It’s important to firstly associate yourself with the controllables. A useful thing to do is to get an idea of what the exam is going to be like, so there are no surprises. You can do this by looking over past papers which can be found on ELE. Also, checking things like how long you’re going to have for the exam, the structure and location are really useful to do in advance.

The problem with stress is that people assume that it's all the same. But the three different scenarios listed above all speak of different kinds of stress, each of which present their own difficulties. At university, the stress of revising is not a new feeling and for some it is all too familiar. Combined with trying to find your feet in an ever changing environment, searching for the best place to study while also balancing your food (and possible night out) budget, it’s

The next stage is understanding what the examiner wants to see, it’s never too late to schedule an office hour or just send a quick email clari fying things such as word count, structure or even how many questions you need to answer. In terms of revising the content, it depends on your style of learning but generally being able to summa -

So, apart from good exam technique and having a good revision schedule, how else is it best to de-stress? The most important aspect of reducing stress is achieving a positive work-life balance. For example, if your method of revision is making 200 flash cards, it would not be a healthy idea to do nothing for three days and then do all 200 of them over two days with little sleep. Instead, doing 40 a day would be the best option, giving you time to do your work, go for a walk, go to the gym (if you can be bothered) and get a good night’s sleep. When revising, it is best to view the brain as a muscle that needs exercising. It wouldn’t be a good idea to do nothing for a week and then go to the gym for a whole day — so why treat your brain this way? Little and often revision sessions are great ways to effectively get your work done while keeping calm.

IT'S BEST TO VIEW THE BRAIN AS A MUSCLE THAT NEEDS EXERCISING

Something else to take into account is the weather. Doing exams in May means that the weather is going to be pretty good generally so it might also be nice to work outside (Queen’s Café is normally a good shout). Conversely, the hot weather will also affect the exam halls so make sure you bring a water bottle!

The Guild also have a section on their website called ‘Exam De-Stress’ which has events such as pet therapy, painting and bubble tea making which could be fun if you need to take your mind off work. Whatever it may be, finding time to switch off from work is equally as important as studying hard and it all depends on what you personally find best.

Cocktail queens

Georgia Balmer, Events Executive, offers a cocktail recipe for the summer season

IT is not Exmouth! Understandably, this might come as a surprise to some Exeter students but there are other beaches in close vicinity to us. The most popular ones near Exeter are Dawlish, Dawlish Warren, Exmouth, and Teignmouth among others and, personally speaking, the best beach to visit during the warm summer days of term three is Dawlish Warren. Just a twenty minute train from Exeter St. Davids or a thirty minute drive, Dawlish Warren is a seaside town in Devon with a mix of sand dunes, water, a funder park, go karting, and some of the best donuts Devon has to offer.

Dawlish Warren should not be missed because what could be better than a nice day of reading or taking a dip in the ocean, when it’s warm and sunny outside? Dawlish Warren does this better than other beaches because it is quieter and has the best views of the sunset. When compared to other popular beach spots near Exeter, Dawlish Warren does not have as many people there making it a quieter and more peaceful beach to spend your relaxing afternoon or evening in! Furthermore, Dawlish Warren is a blue flag beach meaning it meets the highest water safety standards making it suitable for water sports and swimming. Finally, compared to Exmouth the water in Dawlish Warren feels warm making it a more fun place to swim.

Coming to the best bit about Dawlish Warren now! If you’re afraid of swimming and do not wish to be at the beach but still want to hang out with your friends, the best place to do this is Dawlish Warren because of the funder park! The funder park has a variety of rides available to enjoy with your friends at reasonable prices and, as previously mentioned Dawlish Warren also has Go Karting. Always wanted to race your friends and never got the chance? Well here it is, so make use of your competitive spirit and find out once and for all who the best driver in the friend group is. Finally, at reasonable prices you can find amazing donuts, ice cream, and fish and chips to end a wholesome outing with your friends! Whilst all beaches near Exeter are beautiful and should be explored, if you’re short on time and need to choose, Dawlish Warren is one which should definitely make the cut!

BY now, we’re probably all a little too well acquainted with an Aperol Spritz, its glazed orange hue shining bright in pub gardens up and down the country come the first glimpse of warm weather. From a can, on a splintering bench seat in the Impy garden, or, if you’re lucky, sipped in golden hour overlooking the med, the Aperol Spritz has become as synonymous with summer as picky bits for tea.

However, the Aperol Spritz has a much cooler cousin in the Hugo Spritz that you should probably add to your summer cocktail rotation. A sweetly floral cocktail replacing bitter Aperol with elderflower liqueur, namely St Germain, the Hugo Spritz is like a zhuzhed up mojito packed with fresh mint flavours. The drink even looks like summer in a glass, a pale yellow colour like the perfect glass of homemade lemonade, topped with joyful sprigs of mint leaves.

Popular throughout Italy, the cocktail is most known in the towns around Lake Garda which is where I was first introduced to my go-to drink of the summer and was taught the recipe by a somewhat dishy Italian bartender in Sirmione, Garda. I might not remember much from that ensuing night, but I still have the recipe he taught us and plan to put it to plenty of use as the weather heats up.

Hugo Spritz

15ml Elderflower liqueur, St Germain is best (Elderflower cordial also works but packs less of a punch)

Sprig of fresh mint

120 ml Prosecco

Soda Water

Take a large wine glass for the true Italian experience, and add a handful of gently crushed mint leaves (crushing the leaves in your hands helps release the aromas). Add the elderflower and mix before topping with the prosecco and finishing with a glug of soda water. Stir gently before garnishing with lemon or lime and a sprig of mint.