The stress levels are rising each day as the end of the semester's classes and the exam period fast approach. Here are some suggestions for coping positively with that stress:
- Stay on top of your class preparation, but be efficient and effective about it. Go for understanding and not minutia. You will be more stressed if you cannot follow discussion in class because you stopped preparing. Remember also that the new class material will be on the exam.
- Focus on what you need to accomplish to prepare for your exams. You need to consider the difficulty of each course for you, the amount of material covered, how much review you have already completed, and your exam schedule. Listen to other people's strategies if you want ideas, but you need to decide your own strategies and time management.
- Focus on what you need to accomplish to finish any papers/projects that are due. Consider the length of the paper, amount of research left, writing tasks, editing tasks, etc. Talk to your professor if you are having difficulties and get any questions answered. Make a time management schedule specifically for paper/project tasks to keep you on target.
- Make a time management schedule for which course(s) you want to complete exam review for each day. If you have a plan, you will feel less stressed. Re-evaluate three times a day: at lunch time, at dinner time, and when you end a day's studying. Make a task list at the end of the day for the next day's exam review so you do not waste time deciding what to do with that time.
- If you know you have questions about material, meet with your professor to get answers as soon as possible. Avoid storing up all of your questions until the very end of classes; you will lower your stress by having confusion cleared up earlier rather than later.
- Balance your individual study time with study group time. Study partners/groups can be an awesome resource. But you still need to take the exam on your own. Make sure you understand the material and can answer practice questions by yourself as well. You will be less stressed if you are confident about your abilities.
- If studying at the law school is too stressful, find another place to study that will not increase your stress level. Try the main university library, another academic building on campus, an empty meeting room at the student union building, or the business center at your apartment complex.
- Curb your distractions. Wasting time whether with Facebook, Twitter, web surfing, texting, phone calls, games, TV, or chatting with friends in the student lounge is still wasting time. You will be stressed at the end of the day because you did not accomplish much. Use timers, employ apps that block websites, lock your TV in a closet and give the key to your neighbor, or whatever will work for you.
- Ignore the rumors that abound this time of year. Some law students start negative rumors to psych out their classmates. Others rumors are get passed down each year by upper-division students. Examples of crazy rumors I have heard in the past: A grades in Professor Whosits class are assigned alphabetically by last name so only A and B last names will get them; Section 2 is the easy section; Professor Whatsit always gives F grades to the bottom five people in the class.
- Stay away from people who stress you. Whether they stress you because they are freaking out or because they make remarks to cause you to doubt your abilities does not matter. Avoid them. Be polite, but do not get into discussions with them because you will only harm yourself by increasing your stress.
- Surround yourself with encouraging and positive people to lower your stress. If you cannot find some at your law school, then ask spouses, parents, non-law-school friends, other relatives, mentors, etc. to play that role for you. Phone one of your cheerleaders each day for an encouraging word.
- Choose 3-5 things that you can look forward to over the semester break. When you get stressed, remind yourself that it is just a few more weeks until you get those rewards for working hard now.
- Take care of yourself. Law school and life will be less stressful if you get proper sleep, eat healthy meals, and get 30 minutes of exercise at least 3-5 times a week.
You can do this! Manage the stress rather than letting it overwhelm you. Take one task at a time. Take one day at a time. (Amy Jarmon)
