Be kind to yourself: Isabel Lynch's top study tips

Hi everybody! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my article, I hope it will provide you with some useful insights and support surrounding exam stress and mental wellbeing to enhance your time at King’s.

This article is for everybody, whether you’re a first-year student needing a bit of encouragement, a final-year student pushing intensely in the hopes that your hard work will begin to pay off, or somewhere in between.

Opening ourselves up

If you take one thing away from reading this, let it be that you are not alone. Sometimes it can feel as if life is sprinting past us, as we become consumed by our daily tasks, leaving no room for reflection and development. But you are not the only one feeling like this. I’ve had countless conversations with the people around me about how difficult things can be and have personally felt the relief of sharing my worries in a safe space.

At a highly competitive university, it makes sense that students are hesitant to share their worries with other students, as we feel the need to present ourselves as unstoppable and unphased by the intensity of our degrees. But so much good can come from opening ourselves up. We all have bad days, but they can feel a little bit brighter when we utilise the love of the people in our lives.

It can feel so isolating in such a large university, but when we take a look around, we can realise that everybody is going through the same whirlwind as us. We can find beauty in sharing our difficult experiences. I hope this article inspires you to start up a tough conversation with your friends, smile at a stranger, or whisper a few encouraging words to yourself when things feel a bit much.

King’s is here to help

Aside from the people in our personal lives, there is so much support that King’s offers students. First of all is the use of our personal tutors, an assigned member of staff there to support you from the start to the very end of your degree (available for both UG and PGT students).

It can often feel daunting reaching out to members of staff for help, but they are there for a reason and it can be extremely beneficial to lean on them. By having someone in the university aware of any issues you are having, they can point you in the right direction to get help and ease any of the issues you may encounter.

Additionally, King’s offers an amazing free counselling service, with weekly sessions for students. As someone who has benefited from the service, I wholeheartedly recommend you check it out.

As I’ve gone through half of my degree now, just like many, I am beginning to feel the stress and worry that comes alongside post-university expectations and opportunities. One thing I recommend is utilising the King’s CareerConnect service, which offers practice interviews and career workshops, as well as access to a vacancy board, with opportunities for internships, work experience, and grad jobs.

Find your perfect study space

I’m sure you are all aware of how much exam stress we can face, coming from the pressure to excel academically to ensure access to the best internship and graduate opportunities. One thing that can help alleviate exam stress is taking the time to find a study environment that works for you.

There are some fantastic study spaces across King’s campuses, such as Bush House, the Maughan Library and New Hunt’s House Library. Alternatively, if you feel you may benefit from working in a less academic environment, I recommend checking out some of the great study cafes in London, for a more social experience. Bafarat Café, Soho and Farm Girl, Carnaby Street are two of my faves! I think it can be super helpful to add a bit of variation to your work routine. I find that keeping academic study spaces reserved only for exam season helps me to get into the appropriate mindset needed for long study sessions.

I truly hope you can find something insightful from this article, and it gives you something to reflect upon in association with your time at King’s. Remember, your friends are here to support you, and so much good can come from reaching out, even when it feels daunting.