Written by content creator, Nate
The January Exam season is in full swing, and no matter how many times you’ve been there, they always catch us right off-guard at the end of the Christmas season. The libraries at this time are a menagerie of stressed student faces who all wish we had started work just a bit sooner!
Indeed, it is not a pleasant time for most of us coming back after being treated with home-cooked delicacies only to be thrown into the deep end for what may be some of your first exams at university. However, there are ways to control the inevitable panic which most of us will experience at this time of year.
This blog is here to bring some of these resources to light, with the aim to guide you all in the right direction with time management and study to hopefully avoid the exam season pandemonium.
Forest
A popular app free to download, you may have heard of this. In fact, the likelihood is a few readers here have downloaded it already. For those out of the know, this app is designed to keep us away from peeping at our phones while we focus on the tasks at hand. It may sound ironic that downloading an app helps focus, but it works! While the app is on the screen, a digital tree is your focus timer. The more your phone is on the app and off distractions like TikTok, the more trees you make; it’s that simple. If you struggle to keep your mitts off your phone while working, this may be for you!
AppBlock
If your impulse to check social media exceeds the desire to host a digital forest on your device, you may need something more heavy-duty. This is where AppBlock comes in. Once you download this app you have the option to select what apps you want to block your access to and for how long. For example, removing the likes of Instagram on weekdays between 9am – 5pm. It is pretty hardcore, but it may prove invaluable for time management and getting things done on time!
GetRevising.com
A website which personally got me through Sixth Form, this website is amazing when it comes to study. The site is free to use and contains a revision planner whereby you put what subject you have to study, at what times you can study, and how much of that particular module/subject you want to study relative to others. The website does the rest and will make the timetable for you! Furthermore, the website has thousands of user-created revision tools for any topic imaginable. While the majority is GCSE/A Level related study, there are still many, many degree-level resources to utilise. This website is truly a gold mine of content for students.
The Mindfulness App/Headspace
Lastly, I have decided to include an app which is not for study, but for mental health. The stress and anxiety of exams takes a toll on everyone; but some more than others. It is important that we also dedicate some time over the next few weeks to look after ourselves; and this is what these apps do. While these apps do require a subscription to access more premium features, one can still access some of their content for free, or use the 7-day free trial during the exam season. The guidance which is delivered regarding mindfulness and meditation prove invaluable for maintaining a healthy mind in these stressful times.