It’s almost April and for those in college or university, that means exams are just around the corner. Bliss Therapist, Jenna Luelo, just completed a course and re-experienced the exam season pressure herself. And so, Jenna has some tips and tricks to help you make it through another semester, you’re welcome!

Study, Study, Study. The Student Life.

I know what you’re thinking, more study tips?? “Jenna, what are you going to tell me, that I don’t already know?” Well, if you feel prepared for this upcoming exam season, feel free to jump to point 1. If you’re not feeling entirely prepared, I hope this will be helpful.

Having recently completed a course in Learning Psychology, with a final exam worth 50% of my grade, the preparation followed a predictable pattern. It happened to look something like this: study…stress…procrastinate…try more studying. Hidden, in what I now refer to, as my “stress-study cycle” was actually a wonderful opportunity to reflect.

So, I thought I would pass along 5 of my most useful study tips as quick refresher:

1. Over learn. If you think you know it, keep studying. Although it may be time consuming, this is one of the best ways to learn and retain information.
2. Create meaning. If the concept is particularly confusing or difficult, try connecting the information to something you already know. This could be achieved by creating an acronym, rhyme or anything else that helps create personal meaning to the material.
3. Study in small bits, frequently. A study session will be better retained if you take breaks. This also means you should organize yourself so that you have these short and frequent study sessions, well in advance of the exam.
4. Use the stress. Stress can make us hyper-vigilant, which is excellent if you need to memorize information. We just want to make sure that the stress stays positive and in the “able to work really hard” state, not the “I’m overwhelmed and can’t function” state. The latter happens when we push the boundaries and neglect to actually do the work with balance. Refer back to point 3.
5. So, you’ve started early, kept organized, over learned the material, understand important definitions and concepts and managed to keep things fun and balanced. Great, you’re on the right track! But, this tips is for those of you who have procrastinated, are falling behind or have fallen into the stress trap. I want you to sit down and reflect: why are you here at school, what habits are supporting your goals, what habits are interfering with your goals? What small changes, can you make to help align yourself? Commit to doing better now.

I hope these tips are helpful as you begin preparing for exams. Remember, there is always someone in your corner whenever you feel overwhelmed or unsure, so reach out to your resources both on and off campus. As always, we are more than happy to help. Click here for more information about our team and available resources!

JENNA LUELO

Jenna Luelo comes to Bliss Counselling with a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and an Honours degree in Psychology from Carleton University. Ms. Luelo is a registered member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

Ms. Luelo’s philosophy is that the relationship between a counsellor and a client is deeply personal and finding the ‘right-fit’ is of real importance to successful therapy. Ms. Luelo considers therapy to be a collaborative process and a strong therapeutic relationship is essential in creating an environment that fosters change and personal growth. She has the clinical skills to support a variety of client issues but is passionate in supporting her clients navigate through their experiences of stress, anxiety and depression. Tailoring the treatment to each client’s specific needs, her clinical style combines genuine warmth and guidance toward effective and lasting solutions.

Ms. Luelo was recruited to Bliss Counselling for her exceptional clinical skills and dedication to excellence in providing counselling services to adolescents and young adults struggling with stress management, anxiety and depression, and has proved to be an invaluable addition to the team.