Coping with exams

The only thing that gets me through the exam period, which I have recently (thankfully) left behind me, is to plan activities to look forward to. Whether it's a day out and about at the weekend (I recently got talked into my first live football match with my boyfriend, and have to admit that I actually quite enjoyed it, despite all attempts to pretend I didn't!) or heading to the cinema, bowling or pub. Having things to look forward to makes sitting in the library revising all day much easier to bear.

Another tip that gets me through the dark times of revision and deadlines is planning my summer holidays. In order to make the most out of long summer days, before i hit the 'real world' of 9-5, I plan barbeques, sunbathing in the park, pub visits, summer holidays and day trips to local places.

I've blogged previously about visiting local areas such as Warwick Castle and the Botanical Gardens in Edgbaston, but the Lickey Hills also provide a great outdoor break from revision (or so  I've heard, I haven't managed to get there myself yet, I'm putting it on my 'to do' list right now...) and the city's canals are close by. There are also loads of events happening in Birmingham over the summer: Vale fest (the student run festival at the University of Birmingham whose proceeds go to charity), Taste of Birmingham, Birmingham Pride and the Mostly Jazz Festival to name a few.

On a more serious note, if you're more nervous and stressed about exams than an evening off or day trip can't fix, then there are always support networks to help you out. Whether it's counsellors at your uni, Nightline (who are open throughout the night to offer a friendly ear) or simply talking to friends and family; blowing off some steam every now and then prevents you from having any minor breakdowns throughout the exam period! My best advice for coping with exams is planning time to chill out, do different things, visit different places and be aware of the people who are there to help you when you're a bit fed up of it all.

If you're still revising for exams then good luck and the long summer holidays are not far away!! :)