It’s the craze, craziest time of the year! With the semester coming to an end, semester exams will soon be upon us, deciding a whopping twenty percent of everyone’s final semester grade. During these times, it is easy for people to become stressed with the pressure induced by the threat of these exams. The pressure to do well weighs on all of us. There are some classes that we are doing well in, but we all have those classes where our final exams will determined whether or not we succeed. That being said, this produced stress needs to be properly channeled, or else it can become unhealthy. Here are some popular de-stress techniques and study methods used to stem and properly control your stress.

1) Gradual Studying

This is probably one of the more obvious and easier ways to stem your stress over exams. Being prepared well before your exams should limit the amount of stress you feel in the next coming days. If you’re already feeling the heat, this is probably your best option. Around this time, most teachers have handed out study packets. If they haven’t, review notes, previous assignments, and research online if you need to. Being prepared for the exams is the best way to limit the pressure that you will feel from them. Don’t cram though! Doing too much at once can overload your brain.

2) Exercise

Physical activity is a great way to relieve stress. Many organizations are in agreement about this. Exercising regularly is a great way to manage stress due to the chemicals, endorphins, that are produced. These endorphins will help you deal with the with the stress filling your head, and is also a healthy alternative to other stress-reducing methods such as eating, sleeping, and watching TV. Not only will your mind be more at ease after exercise, enabling you to more clearly think and perform, but you will also be strengthening your body over time.

3) Listening to Music

Music is a great anti-stress element. If you’re feeling down or tense, a great way to make yourself feel better is to just take a short break from whatever you’re doing, pop in some earbuds, close your eyes and listen to some music. Any kind of music that you like will work, but try to avoid genres similar to hard rock and rap. The best kinds of music is music that you listened to when you were younger. Older music. Studies have proven that music you heard when you were young will most likely calm you faster. Classical music without many vocals is also a good choice.

4) Meditation

Call me crazy, but this stuff actually works. I’ve tried it myself. Lots of people think that it’s hard to meditate, or that it doesn’t work as advertised, but I can assure you that after only ten or fifteen minutes of meditation, you will feel refreshed. Your mind will be clear, and you’ll be able to think. Meditation is very simple to do. Just find a relatively quiet, empty room. Sit in a way that’s comfortable and close your eyes. Let your mind wander, think about whatever, don’t direct it. Just relax. Listen to music if it helps you focus. There are plenty of other guides online, but those are the basic steps.

5) A Warm Shower or Bath

There is nothing quite like a warm shower or bath. Fill the tub with hot water and take a soak. The warm water will help not only relax your muscles, but can help your mind relax as well. It’s advised that while taking your shower or bath, you should let your mind wander wherever it would like. Take it away from whatever it was previously working on and let it relax while you soak. You’ll feel great afterwards.

These are only a few of the ways that you can relax as exams approach. If you’re curious about other methods, there are plenty of websites out there.

Worried about your grade? Don’t quite know what you even need on your exams to pass? This website can help calculate your grade. Just remember that your final is 20% of your grade.