Advice for Students feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and unmotivated during finals | Reem

by Reem - October 06, 2021

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Hello everyone ☕ ♥

I'm back, and so is school with all its glory (and piles of endless work). Recently, I received an email from a blog reader. She was having lots of trouble staying motivated and following through on the tasks in her planner; apparently, life was getting in the way of her preparing for finals, and she's a first-year pharmacy student. I emailed her back with words of encouragement along with a whole list of things I would do if I were in her position (which I was, many times actually). This inspired me to share the list with you too, hopefully, you'll get something out of it. But before we start, I thought you should know that I have a whole ebook dedicated to study tips, advice, and encouragement. So, if this sounds interesting to you, get your own copy here!

Firstly, please know that it is more than okay to feel overwhelmed and stressed out especially when finals are approaching. Plus, life happens and it sometimes gets in the way of our plans. That is also normal; because life isn’t just a smooth path for most people (myself included). When life would get in the way of my studies, for instance, I would do the following:

1- I talk to some of my university friends and more often than not, they tell me that they’re struggling with something too. For example, one of my friends had to have surgery during finals! It makes me feel a sense of belonging and that I am not alone in this. I also feel compassion for them as well as for myself.

2- I focus on my end goal—to graduate with a grade I am proud of. I remind myself that my current small issues won’t matter in the future and that, in the end, I will be so proud of myself for getting through it all (which I am, right now).

3- I understand that I am human, flawed by nature, and have complex emotions and needs that can, and will, interfere sometimes with the goals I am trying to achieve, so I cut myself some slack and don’t beat myself up. I also try to encourage myself to do work by treating myself or taking short breaks even during finals season. Just because it's finals time, doesn’t mean I’ll neglect my needs and emotions.

4- I turn off ALL distractions once I start studying and I focus on one thing at a time. I try to study from one source and when I am looking for study tips, I try to find simple lists with actionable steps and not overwhelming, wishy-washy advice.

5- If I have some other issues going on in my life, I tell myself that they are important too, but I am currently giving all my attention to my studies and that I’ll tackle those issues later.

6- I write motivating phrases on my notes to keep me going during finals, and I tell myself that if I want to be knowledgeable about something as valuable as pharmaceutical sciences, I’ll have to put enough time and effort to get there.

In the end, I want you to know that I am rooting for you. And as long as you’re doing your best to acquire knowledge and educate yourself, I’m so proud of you regardless of your final grades. Getting to where you are today as a student, on its own, must’ve been an arduous journey, so you must be one resilient student!

Get out there and give it all you got!!

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Best of luck ♥