Student blog: How to Stop Stress Burnout and Take Control

Elizabeth Black

Kent Business School’s resident blogger Lizzie is reaching the end of her four year course at university. Here, she marks Stress Awareness Month (April) by providing her guide to taking hold of stress and succeeding in your final year exams…

Stress. A word that is enough to stress many of us out altogether, especially students facing our final year exams.

We all know what stress feels like. Stress is a part of our everyday lives. It can be mental or physical and no matter how hard we try, it is impossible to avoid it altogether. It is important to realise there is a difference between stress and distress.

Stress is something we can control. This avoids us from spilling over into the danger zone of distress, where our mental and physical wellbeing is affected, resulting in anxiety. To avoid such a downward spiral, you have the power to use stress in a positive way and boss your revision for end of year exams.

For those of you in final year, or anyone finding it difficult to know where to start regarding exam season and deadlines, here are some tips to help you take control:

Scheduling and time blocking

If you haven’t become friends with your calendar yet, now is very much the time. As you would have seminars and lectures, schedule in 50-minute revision periods for certain exams. Maybe practise past paper questions or catch up on module reading.

Take breaks

Burnout is a thing! Do not feel guilty that you are entitled to take a break between study periods. This will make you more productive and give you time to reset and refresh. You are not a robot.

Remember there is an end!

Build resilience and discipline by sticking to a schedule and remember that there will be an end! Hard work pays off, particularly when you can show future employers the fruits of your attitude to studying and learning.

Everyone reacts and copes with stress differently – find what methods work best for you, so you can take control and excel in your exams! You’ve got this!

If you feel overwhelmed or stressed and need help or advice, please contact the university Wellbeing services

4 responses to “Student blog: How to Stop Stress Burnout and Take Control

  1. Great tips! I also love the ‘eat the frog’ method (i.e. do the most difficult/boring thing first) – tick off the hardest item on your to-do list first to beat procrastination and make the rest of the day feel like a breeze 😀

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