Next in our Post Secondary Tips and Tricks series, join Malcolm, Marissa, Kate and special guest Bri as they discuss exam season and how to succeed while also prioritizing your wellness.
Next in our Post Secondary Tips and Tricks series, join Malcolm, Marissa, Kate and special guest Bri as they discuss exam season and how to succeed while also prioritizing your wellness.
Hey folks, welcome back to the Get with the growth Podcast. I'm Malcolm,
Kate:I'm Kate.
Marissa:And I'm Marisa.
Malcolm:We are very lucky this episode to have a special guest Bri.
Bri Martey:Hi, guys, I'm really excited to be here. Yeah, my name is Bree, I am now the EDIIR coordinator for the growth hubs.
Malcolm:This is Bri second time joining the podcast. We are very excited to have her with us today. This week, we are going to be continuing our post secondary Tips and Tricks series. Today's episode will be focused on midterms and exams, we will share some personal experiences and some ideas to keep you healthy, happy and successful in your future exams.
Kate:So I think everyone can agree that exams feel like they come out of nowhere, sometimes, especially midterms, they only happen about a month and a week into your university experience. So all of a sudden, you are focusing about studying, and all these big tests that you've never really experienced before. So knowing your exam dates and times is super important. Like we mentioned last episode, making a schedule and dividing up all of your time and deciding when you're going to study for your first exam your last one, and making sure that you're always going to understand everything that's on your exams. Understanding what content will be covered, is something that's super important. Of course, your professors will always tell you what chapters are going to be covered. So just go over all of your notes brush up on everything is okay, if you don't understand some things, just make sure you recognize that. And you're able to go over everything and study more on those things. So go over your old tests, if you were reading things wrong. If there were any trick questions, see what you got wrong. And understand how that professor writes or midterms and exams, this will give you a huge advantage. And I know a lot of people end up not going to class throughout the semester. And sometimes it's hard to get yourself out of bed. But I really recommend going to class the last couple of weeks of class before the exams, because the profs will always give you better information to people that actually go to class, you might get some hints on what chapters you don't really need to focus on, and what questions will be on the exams. And also find out what study method works best for you ahead of time, hopefully everyone's able to find out what works for them in high school. But if not, that's okay, just try out some different things. And I'll let Marissa elaborate on all the different ways that could benefit you. And I want to know how were all of your first exam periods?
Malcolm:Well, I guess I'll go first, my first exams were in the middle of COVID. So my very first semester were all online exams. So that was quite an interesting adjustment from high school where I'd only had in person exams. It was honestly kind of nice to have space to myself where I could focus and not have hundreds of people around me. But that's kind of not what you folks are going to be experiencing. So I'll talk more about my second semester where I had some in person exams. I know it was definitely quite stressful when you get in there. And you see that huge lecture lecture hall with hundreds of exams laid out on the table. And there's TAS walking up and down the lanes. But trust me, once you get into the exam, it's all business I, I feel like as soon as I started the exam I was focused in and it went by relatively quickly, it can be quite stressful. But as long as you have studied beforehand, I think it can go well.
Bri Martey:Yeah, honestly, my first year of exams kind of went similar to your second semester of exams. Welcome. I was in a very big lecture hall. TAs were walking up and down the aisles. There was 300 people in, in my classes. And, you know, there's someone so close to you on either side, and you're trying to focus on your exam, but you're also trying to not bump into other people. Yeah. But I mean, just like just like Kate said, I kind of focused a lot on what I needed to do and just kind of zoned in and made sure that I made sure that I was the only one in that room. So
Marissa:yeah, I think similar to both of you. My first year exams were the first in person tests I took after being in high school through COVID. So it was a little bit stressful, but and it can be overwhelming. Like if your exams like 50 to 100 questions, I multiple choices, fine. You just got to have fun with it. Take the stress out of it. And like brisa just, you're the only person in the room. Don't concern yourself with anyone else. And it all worked out. I think what also helped me through my first year exams was some little study tips and strategies. So I'll tell you all bit more about those. So coming into exam season, like Kate said definitely comes up on you pretty quick. And studying is really the most important part of midterm exam season, it's important to make sure you're prepared and make sure that you feel ready for exams, um, to really help take off the stress and make you feel less overwhelmed. There are a lot of study tips and strategies that can help you and what works for everyone is going to be different. So just follow whatever helps you the most. So the first strategy that I think can help everyone is planning out a study schedule, like Kate said, just so you know when your exams are going to be. So you know, when you're going to study for each one and what day you're going to do this. And that just helps it seem less overwhelming. So you're not thinking about all these different things that you have to study for, you can just break it down bit by bit. And having multiple exams at once can be very stressful and overwhelming. So having a schedule really reduces the stress for you. Creating a schedule also helps you to study over a longer period of time instead of cramming everything last minute, which I have done before and it hasn't been great for me. So it's important to remember that as much as you don't want to study or studying may not be fun. Spacing out, studying over a long period of time in the end really will help you retain the information more and feel a lot less stressed and cramming everything at once studying for multiple classes and one really long session. And some other tips that have really helped me is cue cards. And I find quizzing myself also really helped me to just really repeating the material kind of helped me to memorize the content and lock it in. Because repetition really is a big factor in memorizing content. So maybe quizzing yourself, say everyday for a week before your exam could really help to solidify the material and help you feel really prepared. So what about you folks was there any strategies that you found really helped you through exam season.
Kate:I am a huge Quizlet girl, I love Quizlet so much. And it was kind of a bummer. They started making everything part of the subscription this year. So I did invest in it I did really helped me and Quizlet so nice, especially because they realize what cue cards you don't know in what terms you're having a difficult time with. And they've quiz you on those over and over and over again. So I definitely recommend that. And then also I cannot study at home, I have to be in the library. Otherwise I cannot focus. So typically me and my roommates, we all do it together, we wake up early, go to the library, get our Starbucks and just spend the entire day there. And it's super chill and we get a lot of work done.
Bri Martey:Yeah, I think that's a great point. If you're trying to look for me, while it's exam season, I will be in the library, I can't be at home, I have to be out or, you know, a neutral study spot. I think what another thing that you said was was so great that like studying with your friends, like kind of make a routine for yourself. When I go to the library, I know that I'm gonna get Starbucks, I know that I'm gonna find a nice quiet spot for myself. So I kind of get hyped up for that. And then I can spend some good time over my notes and, and the material that I need to study for.
Malcolm:Yeah, Bree and Kate both mentioned, what I was going to say is study groups. I am a huge fan of study groups ever since first year, just having that extra person there with you to give you that pointer if you don't know something, or you can help them like it's just like it's a mutually beneficial relationship. When you're in a when you're in a study group. There's nothing but positives can come out of that. Occasionally, it's better to work on your own if you're trying to like grind through stuff, but I've always found for like individual projects, I've always found that working by myself is better. But when you're studying for an exam, it's a lot easier to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to test you with your cue cards. It can be very beneficial. Definitely.
Marissa:Yeah, I agree. It definitely makes it feel more lighthearted, less stressful. But like Malcolm was saying, it's just still important to make sure that you're staying on track and staying focused. But it can definitely make you feel less isolated and not just locked into your studying. I think making acronyms or a little jingles are also fun ways to help you memorize lengthy content. And then it's kind of fun, you're in your exam, you're singing a little tune trying to remember. But yeah, overall, studying can be very overwhelming and stressful. And e xam period can feel very stressful, but just taking it bit by bit and using whatever works best for you really will help you get you through. And then the most important priority is always your mental health. So I'll just let Malcolm talk a bit more about that.
Malcolm:Yeah, so I can say from experience that when it gets into exam season, it can be very hard to think about anything but school. You are going to spend as much time as you can studying and this is when some self care practices may be pushed to the side. It is so so important that you make sure to prioritize your wellness in this time. Make sure that you are taking regular breaks in between studying, maybe make a snack or go for a walk in nature. Whatever relaxes you make sure you take time to prioritize that activity. Working all day with no breaks can actually impact the information you are trying to absorb. A rested brain takes in knowledge much better than an overloaded and stressed one. I'll send it over to Bri to add a couple more points to this.
Bri Martey:Yeah, absolutely. I think you hit it on the nail right there. Malcolm, when you're studying, it can be really easy for you to get into your head. Personally, for me, impostor syndrome hits hard. And I kind of find that like, when I'm studying for too long, and I'm starting not to retain the information. I'm like, Oh, well, why am I even in this class? Or why am I even taking this course, things like that. But I think one of the big things that you can do is make sure that you're breaking up your studying, I often find that I start to lose focus after a while. So techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, suggest studying in blocks of 25 minutes focusing on one task, and then maybe taking a break for five minutes. And then after you repeat this four times, take a longer 15 to 30 minute break. And in that time, you can go for a walk, you can you know, scroll on your phone, or do something that kind of gets you away from that mindset of studying, but then go back to it. And that always allows you to study more effectively and keep your focus.
Malcolm:I'll pose another question to the group. What do you folks find are some good wellness activities that you'd like to do during exam season?
Bri Martey:Personally, staying active, I'm a rugby player. So anything that I can do to stay active is definitely something that's a great release for me. So I like to be in the gym, or I like to be outside. It's currently exam season. And this weekend, I went on a really great hike and not just got my mind off of all the stress and everything and that I was able to just have a great study session afterwards.
Malcolm:Yeah, we mentioned that last episode, the importance of staying active during stressful times of the school year. I totally agree with that. Bri.
Kate:Yeah, I definitely think that just taking a lot of breaks is something that helps me, I am able to sit down for a while and grind on one assignment and focus on one thing. And due dates definitely helped me I never submit anything late. So another thing I would say is, I really like to take my time and book meals during exam season. Because I'm even that's another 30 minutes of something that is taking up everything in my mind, I only focus on cooking. Even though I don't cook that much, I maybe it's a bit of an excuse. That's something that I definitely recommend.
Marissa:Yeah, I definitely agree with Bree, I think just stepping away from the screen, getting some time outside, maybe doing some exercise is really helpful. For me, I like to just grab a snack or even just going to talk to somebody else just so I'm not staring on another screen, maybe watching a show or looking at my phone, it's nice to talk to someone and kind of not have my brain working for that time. I think something else really important too, is separating a space where you relax. And when you rest from a space where you study.
Malcolm:Yeah, that's a good point right there.
Marissa:I know a lot of the time I'll find myself in my bed, doing exams or doing assignments. And then I kind of associate my room with that feeling of like work and tiredness. So I think just separating them also helps you have a space to go to where you truly can wind down and relax.
Bri Martey:Yeah, so I think that during the exams, it's always important to make sure that you are using the resources that are available to you. I personally am part of the Accessibility Services at the University. And all of the resources there are super helpful to me, I have accommodations, during exam time, if I need the help, I can go to writing services, I can go to the library services, or anything else, I will provide a few services that you guys can obviously check out that are super helpful. Student learning groups are so helpful. They're specific to the class that you're in. So let's say you're in chemistry, there's a bunch of student learning groups for that. And you get to meet a lot of new people and get to study in groups. The library guides are so helpful as well, you can go in and you can go to the Help Desk, and they can just kind of direct you to the resources or any learning guides or anything that you may need, that will help enhance your studying. I also think that just reaching out and kind of talking to people in your classes. I know it's hard to put yourself out there. But once you make friends it makes studying and it makes the university experience all the more easier. So these are just a few tips that I use.
Marissa:Yeah, I think that's great Bri it's important to know that you don't have to go through everything alone and university to really use those services and resources and supports that you have around you. Especially the ones on campus. Absolutely. So I think that brings us to a close for today. Thank you so much everyone for tuning in. to this week's episode, and don't forget to check out our social media to stay up to date with what's going on at each of our hubs. You can follow us at the growth hubs on Instagram or check out our website @thegrovehubs.ca you can also check out our Twitter and Facebook both at the grove pubs. As always, be kind to your mind and we'll see you next time.
Malcolm:Bye