Exams and balance

Advice on Exams

So it’s exam season, the period where students get incredibly worried and anxious, not only about their important exams, but about their bodies. It’s general practice for students to worry about failing their exams which as a result causes stress levels to rocket and affects their health. It requires a certain skill to balance your Health & fitness with your exams, to maintain a good body weight, while still getting excellent exam results. 

Exams are important!

I hope you recognise that your exams are very important, even more important than becoming ripped, because these exams are important for your future, doing well in these exams and getting high scores will dictate whether you get into a good college or university which will then lead to increased chances of you getting a good job! Not everyone can make money singing, dancing or drawing, so why not help secure yourself a good job by working hard in school and applying yourself to your studies? I doubt everyone is satisfied with becoming a stripper haha!

Maintaining balance

So how do balance the maintenance of my body weight and stress levels while attaining good grades? 

Well it mostly lies in what I do in my spare time; the time outside of lessons, and outside of the gym. In my spare time I don't play video games, and i don't watch a lot of TV, I use my spare time to make progress academically. Every day, other than Fridays and Saturdays I try to do at least 1-2 hours of studying. What i study each day depends on which subject I feel I'm weakest in. By doing at least 1-2 hours of studying a day, it allows me to be prepared for my exams months in advance, this way I can iron out any problems I may be experiencing in class, and in the weeks leading up to my exams I can use the time to become 100% confident before entering the exam room. This way I experience less stress before my exams due to the numerous hours I spend studying my subjects in advance, and because my time consumed in study is spread evenly, it gives me enough time to go to the gym regularly all year round.

Time management

This is a very useful skill, by dedicating a little time a day to study, you eliminate the need for you to experience the high levels of exam stress, and the long hours of incessant cramming sessions the days before your exam. So the way I try to succeed in my exams while maintaining strong progression in my health & fitness is by planning my time well, and balancing my work and play well.

Example

I go to school, then I go to the gym for about an hour, after that I get home, eat and study, and by the time I’ve satisfied my daily allotted time for studying it’s about 7:00-7:30, so I relax for the rest of the night, chat to some friends, or watch a movie. Swap this for 3 weeks of horrible cramming and worrying, and your exams will go more smoothly, with less stress and hopefully better results. I must note that I do have ‘private study’ periods during school, which I use for very light reading. I don’t usually do any heavy revision during these periods, as to prevent myself burning out before important lessons where I learn important facts and data.

Studying

I find that the shorter study sessions of 1-2 hours are more helpful, because since it’s only a short period of time, I’m able to learn more due to that fact that I can remain focused without getting extremely tired. During long sessions of studying I get tired, and as I get tired I lose focus which leads to a huge decrease in efficiency, resulting in less learning per unit of time. So by increasing the amount of sessions, but decreasing the time for each session I find that efficiency increases.

Evaluation and assessment

It may be helpful for you to develop the skills of scrutiny and evaluation, these skills can help you review and assess yourself to identify what your weaknesses are, perhaps in your physique or in your education. In my opinion this can aid in boundless progress and development, to make you a better, more successful individual.

Education is like an enhancement to your life

You may argue that life isn’t all about education, and it isn’t. Although in these modern times it can help you make your life fulfilling, or be the difference between you becoming a cleaner or a successful lawyer. These days if you don’t get a good education or if you don’t try hard enough at school you are more than likely to be forced to work in a low level job like McDonalds for example; stuck in a dead-end job because you didn’t care at school. What sort of an end is that? Is that what you want? Would you be satisfied with this end? Because I wouldn’t be.

Going through higher education is like a doorway, a bypass out of the boundaries of societies limits due to education; which can lead you to a better end, a more fulfilling, rewarding and prosperous life, and where you can live more happily with more potential to flourish. So you might as well try hard while you’re young, you don’t want to mess it up and diminish in an alley as a prostitute or something…

Conclusion

In conclusion, balance your work with your play, but remember, being successful requires effort which may inhibit the amount of free time you have to play with, but no one should work without any breaks, because humans are robots; if you work too hard you will burn out, so don’t hurt yourself, but I encourage you to identify your limits and wherever you can, push past them.

Manage your time well, and plan well in advance for important events, you don’t want to be stuck in a position which will raise your stress levels unnecessarily; it can all be avoided with good planning.

Try to evaluate yourself to identify your weakness, and then build on them. This is an unquestionable way to make progress and to become a better person.

Finally, work hard now, don’t quit! And do it for yourself, because I’m sure you’d like to have a brighter future, and grow into what you wish to become.  You weren’t created to diminish, you’re like a star, so make like a star and burn brightly while you can, and let everyone see.

Good luck with all your exams everyone, 

I wish you all the best!

Here's a silly photo of me to prove it :)