You are doing great: Stress management tips, 100-word stories from your peers and other resources

My top strategy to keep my mental and physical health in check during the exam crunch is keeping a schedule 📆 and topical to-study list 📝. By having a rough plan for the day and things I need to study all written out, I can focus on the actual content I need to study for instead of racking my brain to remember what I need to complete. I also block out my time to ensure I eat regularly 🍜 and take breaks throughout the day.

An impending exam always seems foreboding and stressful at first, but remember: the human body and mind were built to handle more than we imagine! You got this 😌 💪🏼

Hi everyone! It’s that stressful time of the semester. Let me share what works for me - I write down all my deadlines and start planning as to when I need to do which part of which project, assignment or revision. It’s always better to think about the progress towards the end goal rather than contemplating at every step.

Taking equal and spaced out breaks is as important as studying. So, keep working on achieving that trademark effectiveness of yours and believe in yourself. All the best for the next few weeks!

I think the most important thing during exam periods is to always start ahead and take breaks when you can. It is never a good idea to procrastinate everything within a few days. I would probably suggest to begin studying for finals around Week 13 so that you can pace yourself well and take well needed breaks.

What you do on your breaks can be anything as long as it takes your mind away from the stress. I like to take long walks to wherever that helps me relax and this really helps me stay motivated whenever I am on the brink of a burnout 😁.

Smile

By Tan Cheng Ee

He moves his foot. She moves hers. Their heads bumped, awkwardly raising their eyes to look at each other. Shifting slowly again, they attempted moving in sync. Drip. Drip. Drip. The skies had officially opened up, rain falling from the sky in sporadic bursts. Nevertheless, they rocked back and forth with their hands intertwined, moving their clammy bodies together to invisible music, enjoying the moment of passing rain as time slowed. Dancing in the rain with a stranger – she’d done it!

“Thank you, I-”

“My pleasure.”

The moment he broke into that pearly-white smile, she knew he needed it too.

Ear to Ear

By Jeremy Lin Kairui

As I uttered a ‘Thank You’ towards the labouring old lady, the creases of her wrinkled skin lifted in tandem with her lips. Her eyes, which were a moment ago soullessly fixated on the task at hand, were now beaming with joy. Our eyes met and a stream of warmth seemed to flow through us.

How could we forget that as we tide through our lives, others were in parallel? Everybody is simply looking for someone to acknowledge their existence and appreciate their efforts. If we could just look around us instead of ahead, perhaps we would not feel alone…