Exam Stress Tips & Tricks

Compared to last year I have managed to stay relatively calm this year. *touch wood*

I'm counting down until leavers day and more importantly until my first exam.

With only 4 weeks to go I'm beginning to feel some stressy vibes.

However in saying that, I am a lot calmer and less stressed than usual so...

I've decided to share with you some of the things I've been doing recently when I've been feeling the stress at school. 

Exam Tips & Tricks

1. Try and stay organised- as many of you may already know, I don't like the idea of timetables (not strict ones anyway) for revision. But having a clear idea in your head of things you have to do and certain deadlines can definitely clear some head space. 

2. Break down your work load-assign yourself a couple of things to revise a week, this can take some pressure off by reducing your work load & it keeps you motivated. 

3. Have a day for yourself- I've found it useful to make plans one evening a week with friends or with Michael to have something to look forward to. Take a night off revision and relax. By giving yourself that day to think about it helps to keep you working ready for a well deserved break.

4. Part-time jobs- as much as having a job can also add to your to-do list, I have managed to keep up my few waitressing shifts a week throughout my whole time doing exams. Having that commitment gives you a few hours to take your mind off school work and earn some money ready for after exams. During the exam period itself I tend to swap my shifts round so that I'm not working the day before an important exam. But working throughout the period forces you out of the house. It is okay to stop revising for a while. 

5. Have your evenings- if you are working all day at school, through free periods or if you've had a full day of lessons, make sure you have time to rest in the evening. It is not healthy to keep working until late at night. 2-3 hours of work at home after a full day approaching exams has always given me the right balance of work and free time. 

6. Talk to the people around you- speaking to your friends and classmates about how they're feeling about certain exams and topics can really take the pressure off. You can realise that you're not the only one feeling stressed out, but you can also find people who could help you with your revision. Don't feel like you're alone, even if it feels like it, chances are most people are feeling the same as you at this point. 

7. Don't over-work yourself- even when revising for full days in study leave or throughout the evening, make sure you take breaks. Have a walk around the house or around where you live. Have a snack or take an hour for lunch. Forcing yourself to work for long periods of time can not only make you tired and lethargic, but your concentration will wane and your revision won't be as effective.

8. Remember everyone is different- everyone is capable of doing different levels of work. Don't compare your working time to other people, they might be doing different subjects with more/less content than you, they might also have a different approach to revision than you. 

Saying all of this, everything I know is only from my own experience and from watching people around me for the last few years. 

I hope you found this post helpful & feel free to ask any questions! 

Check out my video I made on revision tips! -Revision Advice

Good luck with your exams!

'til next time, 

Hannah xo

I Donated My Hair!

For a while now I have been thinking about cutting my hair.

For a lot of people this wouldn't be a big deal, I felt as though my hair was quite a big part of me and I really enjoyed having long hair.

I have been growing it since I had it cut short around 6 years ago and since then I haven't had more than the dead ends cut off every now and then. 

I heard about various charities that are involved with making wigs for children and adults who have suffered from illnesses that include hair loss and I have always thought they were really incredible charities doing a really amazing thing for amazing people. 

When thinking about going for a change with my hair I considered taking the donation path as I had a lot of hair to give! 

It sounds really vain but at first I was too scared to have my hair cut off, I'm not great with change and it's what I was used to! 

I really thought about it and decided that having my hair cut was really not a big deal. I take my hair for granted and I am lucky enough to be able to be in a position to give hair away. 

Hair is something that can define people, it gives you confidence. Having your hair done and making it look nice and trying new styles is something that almost everyone enjoys. Having these things that we all take for granted taken away from you without warning can cause pain that none of us could even imagine. No one should be made to feel different, and charities like this one help to make the lives of children who suffer from hair loss as a side effect of major treatment for illnesses such as cancer, to feel like themselves again.

Thinking about it from this angle was what made me sure that this was something I really wanted to do. 

I decided to donate my hair to the Little Princess Trust. 

It was really easy and their website provided all the information and guidelines to assist you in your donation. 

Here's a link: Little Princess Trust

It seems so simple but making a donation of something as simple as hair could make somebody so happy. 

If nothing else I'd say that's a good enough reason to do it! 

I have made a video about my donation with a few photos of before and some thoughts about it which you can find on my YouTube channel linked at the top of this page. 

I really hope that you will consider getting involved with such an amazing charity because it's honestly one of the best things I've done. 

'til next time

Hannah xo