Success Series: Are you dealing with stress backwards?

Our culture has a kind of backwards way of looking at stress.

When we're stressed we too often decide the first things that must go are

1. Sleep
2. Heathy food
3. Time with friends/family

And yet these are the things we need most when dealing with stressful times in our lives. The above three things are actually proven to reduce stress, but for some reason we think it's a good idea to let them go when we need them most. 

Life in general can ebb and flow stress into your life, and stress isn't necessarily bad. There is "good stress," and I even read today in Shawn Achor's latest book Before Happiness that changing how you perceive stress (e.g. seeing how it can enhance your productivity and sense of purpose) can actually change how it effects you.

I'm no psychologist nor have done the studies Achor talks about in his book, but I thought the end of the semester would be a good time to remind you not to give up on the things you need most to help you get through the times when it seems you have more on your plate than usual.

So below are the three things I hear over and over again in articles about successful people and stress. I hope they help you as much as they've helped me:

1. Get 7-8 hours of sleep. 

2. Eat good healthy food (e.g. think vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lots of water, and foods with ingredients that sound like food and not chemicals, etc.)

3. Schedule time with people who make you happy. Whether it's friends, family, mentors, colleagues - anyone with whom you like to have fun. Resist the strong urge to hermit yourself during times of stress and instead start planning lunch dates or nights out and make it a priority to take some time to laugh with people you really like.

Laughter is a pretty good stress reliever too. :)

What to do when you're overwhelmed in college

Ever have that moment when you're like, "oh my gosh how am I going to get all of this done in time?" Then this is for you.

For more videos of advice subscribe to my channel at YouTube.com/isaadney! 

Ask Isa: 3 study strategies that helped me get 100's on exams

From the Ask Isa inbox:

Dear Isa,

This semester has started and my classes are pretty hard already. I looked at my syllabus for each class and I notice there are a lot of days where I have two or three tests from each class on the same day. 

How do you manage to study WISELY for tests that are packed on the same day? What type of study habit do I need to go through? I've never been in a situation like this.

Sincerely,

Too Many Tests

Dear Too Many Tests,

This is a great question to ask - as exams can often fall in the same day, especially at the end of the semester. 

Below are the three things I did to manage many tests. 

I became a master test taker - me, who did NOT get a good SAT score. But I often got 100's on my tests using the methods below. I really hope they help you as much as they helped me - because one of the best feelings in the world is approaching test day with confidence. 

1) Study every day
There wasn't a day in college that I didn't study. And no, I didn't spend hours and hours in the library. And yes I did have a social life. When I say "study" I don't mean staring at your textbook for hours. That doesn't work. 

Instead, I developed a habit of getting to every class at least 10 minutes early. During that time I would review the notes I'd taken so far in that class, as well as scan the reading.  

During these short reviews if there was something that wasn't easy for me to grasp I'd make a note of it and schedule time during my professor's office hours to ask about the concept.

That kind of studying never took more than one hour each day, and it made studying for the exams the week  before test week almost feel too easy.

2) Meet with a study group
Study groups aren't for everyone, but they were huge for me. The biggest mistake students make with study groups is thinking they will get major "studying" done during that time. 

The best study groups are the ones where you've already done all your studying before meeting with others. I would meet with a study group usually the day before a test. I'd often create flash cards or make up some sort of game we could play.

Then we would test each other and essentially "talk out" the test concepts. I loved it because it gave me an opportunity to reiterate what I knew and boost my confidence. As a social learner it also helped me to talk it out (but again, that depends on your learning style, this is just mine). 

Often others in my study group hadn't studied a lot before the meeting, which gave me the chance to be "teacher" which really helped. One of the best ways to embed the information is to teach it to someone else. 

3) Relax the day of the tests
Cramming for a test does not really work. If you've spread out your studying over the semester you should be set up for a relatively relaxing test day.

Intensify your studying the week before the test and schedule time in the library every day to study. And again, don't just stare at the book. Create practice tests for yourself, use Quizlet.com when relevant, and build activities for yourself to test your knowledge so you can check what you know and what you still need to work on. 

Study early enough so that you have time to talk with your professor and/or go to the tutoring center for any concepts you're struggling with. 

It's vital to do all this BEFORE the day of the tests. 

On the day of it's best to let your brain relax so you're not stressed; you've done all the work and test day is just the time to reap the benefits.

Get at least eight hours of sleep. Eat a big, healthy breakfast. Take a walk or do some stretching. Listen to your favorite music as you drive or walk to the class. Arrive a few minutes early. And don't take out your notes that day.

Just sit in class and breathe as you wait for the exam to be passed out. You'll see everyone else frantically scanning their notes, and you'll be able to sit peacefully, knowing you're ready.

It's one of the best feelings in school. 

Good luck!! You can be a test master.

Now is the time to prep for your exams. Yes. Really.

An exam blog post in January? Am I crazy? Maybe a little, but crazy works really well in college.

Most students don't think about exams until the last few weeks of the semester. This is a bad idea. 

The best students start thinking about exams in the beginning of the semester. These students get plenty of sleep towards the end of the semester, never pull all-nighters, never have to say no to hanging out with their friends because they have to study, and get A's on their tests.

This can be you.

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for exams now so that, come the end of the semester, you'll get amazing grades and maintain your sanity: 

1) Go to class
I know this seems obvious, but I'm constantly amazed how many students skip class. Never, ever skip class unless you are incredibly ill. Getting one day behind will set you back immensely when it comes to being on top of the material for your future exams. 

2) Takes notes with exam questions in mind
During class, pay attention to the points in the lecture where the professor seems particularly passionate or dwells longer than usual. Take notes during class in a way that makes it easy to look back on throughout the semester, especially come exam time. I'm a fan of the Cornell Notes method. 

3) Review your notes every other day
Get to each class at least five minutes early, and use that time to quickly read the notes you wrote for that class during the last session. 

4) Visit the professor
Have you visited your professors during their office hours yet? Now is the time to go! Ask for help as soon as you find you're not grasping a concept 100%, or if you feel like you're doing great, ask for clarification on a project to ensure you're heading in the right direction. 

5) Talk about the class with friends
Discuss homework or other projects with your classmates. This is a great way to make new friends, as well as delve the subject deeper into your brain. 

It's never too early to start preparing for your exams. When you spread out the work over the entire semester, you'll find yourself at the end of it calmly walking through the halls towards your exams, wondering why everyone else seems so harried.