In advance of prelims, Imaani (S6) talks about the importance of balancing study and wellbeing.

In the disorientating world of revision, deadlines and exams, it’s easy to become oblivious to your mental health and physical wellbeing. In exam preparation we often start to give more than we've got. With prelim exams right around the corner, here is some advice on how to manage the balance of studying and wellbeing. 

I caught up with Nurse Jo Carnegie and asked what advice she has for pupils during exam season, “Set a timetable to study, give yourself regular breaks within that, and a little reward.”  Nurse Carnegie also recommended mindfulness to pupils who feel overwhelmed or overworked, “We do find that pupils here are conscientious people and will probably study intensely and then they're absolutely overwhelmed and exhausted.” She then added that, “Things like not studying right until bedtime, not being on your screen, perhaps listening to music instead, or reading a book” would be helpful in avoiding emotional exhaustion. 

When dealing with the stress of revision, your highest priority is you. So, engage in activities after revision sessions, and remember: nothing can happen in a day - you really can't cram in a whole course in the space of a couple of hours. When organising a revision schedule, be realistic of your capacity and how much you can manage so that you don't overwork yourself. 

Lastly, I asked Nurse Carnegie about anxiety: “Your mental wellbeing is much more important than getting in an anxious and stressed state.” She advised that by following the rules of eating well, having a consistent sleep schedule, spacing out study sessions and having downtime to relax then, “Hopefully we can then avoid that situation where you're completely overwhelmed and cramming the night before.”

If your prelims don’t go as well as you had hoped, trust me, it's not the end of the world… and as Nurse Carnegie puts it: “There's other opportunities for you to shine.” Sure, it may be disappointing at first but the prelims acts as an indication of how to improve for the final exam, which will help you to gain the best grade that you can. Trying your best is all that you can do once in the exam and if it doesn’t go well, you will excel in other areas. 

If you have any concerns or questions about studying and wellbeing, contact your Guidance teacher or the Wellbeing Center for more advice.