If you have ever broken down in the middle of a full-page Math calculation, or yanked a few strands of hair free amidst a mountain-pile of study materials, you are not alone.
Being a student is no easy task, especially if your job was not only to study, but to excel in co-curricular activities and be proactive in competitions as well. In this competitive era, once you slack, something goes wrong. You fail to meet a target. Stress builds up. You feel like quitting. If you are going through this now, hang in there because, believe it or not, there are ways to overcome it.
First tip: start early. When I transited from the Malaysia education syllabus to that of Singapore, there was a huge gap to bridge. With entirely new subjects and a new environment to cope with, it was overwhelming. Determined not to be left behind when the school term started, I utilised my end-of-year holidays to revise and catch up on unfamiliar subjects. I even squeezed in time to study ahead, equipping myself with the basic knowledge on various new subjects like Social Studies and Additional Mathematics. The fruit of my labour was that I was able to comprehend and adapt to lessons in class easily, while some of my other friends struggled to cope with the staggering amount of new knowledge. It was gratifying to see that my decision to start early allowed me the time and mental assurance to study at a steady pace, instead of panicking if something goes wrong at the last minute. Remember, procrastination is the thief of time, so start early whenever you can. You always can.
When I looked at my schedule for January this year, my shoulders slumped. Aside from tests, I had a volleyball competition, a Bio-medical quiz and a Singapore Maths Project Festival presentation to prepare for. It was like trying to stay afloat while having sharks chase after me. I started falling behind studies and my sleeping schedule was shortened to four hours, believing that I needed the extra time to study. Even eating out with my friends sent guilt up my gut and I felt anxious whenever I was not doing work. That was when I found my saviour, my timetable. Not just any timetable, but one that tells you exactly what topics to study, when to complete assignments and when to just relax. By laying out the plan for each week, it was easier for me to prioritise my time and to have a gauge on all that needed to be done. As if being given a map to an oasis in the middle of a desert, I started smiling again. Studying resumed to being fun and hanging out with my friends no longer made me restless because at the back of my mind, I knew that my timetable was telling me to relax and that I would have enough time to finish my work when I got back. Make a timetable and be as specific as you can, so that you can visualise your time allocation. There are 168 hours in a week, what are your priorities?
When I first met other scholars from the different countries, I always felt inferior. They were more creative, more knowledgeable and to me, a whole lot more perfect than I was. It was not easy swallowing the fact that I could never get to the same standard as them and whenever my academic grades did not match theirs, stress slithered insidiously up my spine. I resorted to replicating what they did, thinking that I could level myself up if I followed their daily routine. Of course, it was in vain. After a while, I began realising that I was going in the wrong direction. I realised that what I wanted was to be a better version of myself, and not a replica of someone else, and although my friends might excel better in certain subjects, all I needed was to achieve my personal best. So long as I was constantly improving, that would be achievement enough. I focused on subjects I needed more help in, paced my study schedule according to my personal needs and set realistic targets. My anxiety dropped and self-confidence was boosted. In the end, not only did my grades improve tremendously, I no longer felt lesser compared to my friends. I had learnt one of the most important lessons in life that one’s greatest competitor is oneself.
Once in a while, do not forget to pamper yourself. Occasionally, my friends and I would binge watch movies or go for a karaoke session to de-stress after our major exams. Every night before hitting the sack, I would ‘thank’ my body for working hard too, from thanking my eyes for vision to acknowledging my toes for enabling mobility. This is a form of meditation that not only relaxes the heart and soul, but also reminds us to be thankful for all that we have.
Yes, schooling will never be one smooth-sailing ride, but we should enjoy all the ups and downs of it. Accept stress and turn it into motivation; be optimistic and worries will stay at bay. After all, it is not always that one gets to be a student.
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