This article was written by 2024 student intern and international student, Nicole.
Exam season is coming up and managing academic stress is important for students to maintain their wellbeing and academic performance. Here are some techniques to practice effective stress management.
Creating a supportive study environment: A comfortable workspace with minimum distractions is very helpful for students. This motivates you to study well and keep your study sessions organised.
Taking breaks: Studying for too long can be stressful. Remember practicing self-care is important. So add take breaks to rest and recharge, to vary your routines.
Time management: Creating a realistic timetable to allocate time for each subject is very helpful. You can develop a study plan, prioritise tasks and goals. Instead of being stressed about your workload, use this technique to achieve your goal step by step.
Healthy lifestyle habits: Maintaining a balanced diet, exercising and getting sufficient sleep is highly recommended. Students tend to skip these daily basics during exam period, but this is a reminder that healthy lifestyle habits are important in managing stress.
Mindfulness and relaxation: The simplest method to calm your mind is deep breathing exercises. This will bring your respiration back to normal and relax your muscles. Meditating regularly helps you reduce stress levels and put things into perspective.
Manage anxiety: Positive self-talk, visualisation and relaxation exercises are some of the techniques to cope with exam anxiety.
Seeking support and resources: La Trobe provides many student support services. As well you can reach out to your academic advisors and coordinators for academic support. Staying connected and reaching out when help is needed is a good strategy to manage stress.
Here are some of the La Trobe Student Services available on campus:
- Ask La Trobe: ASK La Trobe can help with student systems, financial support and more. This would be your first point of contact.
- Advocacy: Student advocates helps students to understand their situation and discuss available options.
- Accessibility and Inclusion: Accessibility and Inclusion service for students or students caring for someone with a mental health condition, ongoing medical condition or disability.
- Counselling: La Trobe’s counselling services provide free and confidential short-term counselling for La Trobe University students.
- Financial Counselling: Financial counsellors are qualified professionals who provide information, advice, and advocacy to students in financial difficulty.
- International Student & Indigenous Student Support: Advice, information and support are available for all indigenous and international students.
- Legal Service: La Trobe Legal Service offers free, confidential legal help for all La Trobe University students.
- Library Learning Services: The Library provides online resources and you can chat with librarians to get more help. This includes, Peer Learning Advisors (PLAs)
- Student Advising: The Student Advising team offer individualized support services.
- Employability: The career website can assist students in reaching their career goals.
If you are experiencing any issues which affect your wellbeing, please reach out to Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion.