Maintaining Mental Well-being During Exams Away from Home

For many students who study abroad, exam season can double as a test of knowledge and a test of emotional stamina. When a student is preparing for finals, they're usually thousands of miles away from their family, their lesser comforts at home, and home-cooked meals. It can become a very unique source of stress because it is an experience that most students have. It includes mental balance, self-care, and emotional resilience. It is an essential skill that every international student must actively learn to do well academically to have a good study abroad experience.

It is a natural state for students to feel a sense of distance when away from home, and most appear to mask feelings of isolation or anxiety. Missing home can be a solid grounding experience. Simply being honest with one's feelings creates an opportunity for finding other ways to cope. Rather than suppressing their feelings, students should find ways to put their thoughts and feelings into words. Journaling, talking with friends, or a family call helps lighten the burden. After all, sometimes just talking to someone who cares is all that is needed to feel less of a burden.

Exam times can often move students away from their regular schedule, disrupting sleep and eating habits that contribute to a negative mood and lack of attention. The goal is to do "smarter studying." Instead of studying for hours, you can break up study time into pieces, with breaks. This can aid in retention of the material. Having a regular wake-up and bedtime, eating healthy meals, and doing a minimum dose of physical activity daily can help keep your energy level consistent and keep anxiety down.

Social connection is also an important aspect of maintaining mental health. Exams can lead people to isolate themselves, thinking social time is a distraction. In fact, meaningful social time can act as an emotional "recharge". Study groups, campus resolutions for social withdrawal, or a quick dinner with friends can provide perspective and lessen some burden. Most universities abroad have counselling centres and student wellness hubs, and many students do not feel comfortable accessing those resources due to the presumption that they are only designed for severe issues. In fact, those resources are there to help with just this.

Time management and setting boundaries are important for exam wellbeing. Many students studying abroad struggle with balancing work commitments, social commitments, and study deadlines. It is acceptable to say "no" to extra shifts at work that drain your energy Monday to Friday, because, yes, it's exam week. Prioritizing mental health is as important as studying. Studying for hours on end with minimal breaks will only set you up for burnout and forgetting information. Preparing for assessments or exams is about momentum, not workload, so schedule in studying, reviewing, and sleeping, and repeat!

Mindfulness has become an essential element of a student’s toolbox while studying abroad. Simple techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or maintaining a gratitude journal help individuals recenter their minds amidst the chaos of studying abroad. Students can even use their daily routine and turn a cup of coffee into a mindful practice, go for a mindful walk across campus, or pause between segments of studying to simply breathe deeply and bring their thoughts back to a grounded state. These simple, quiet moments simply remind the brain that exams may finish, but mental health will last.

Next, students studying abroad are living between two cultures - their home culture and the culture they are adapting to. Whenever they have a moment of stress, simply restoring a small element of a cultural habit can create a sense of relief. Listening to your favorite song, preparing a meal, or simply gathering with family during holidays through Zoom is the answer. These moments create a boost of emotional buoyancy. Students can create wellness opportunities within their local context through exercising in a class, enjoying a walk in nature, or being mindful in some capacity with their community.

Another action around wellness that tends to be under-cited is digital hygiene. The constant comparison fueled by social media can promote increased anxiety, and this is especially true if students observe their peers' progress or achievements when students are studying abroad. Reducing screen time or avoiding comparative academic interaction can open cognitive space for focus. Consider swapping the mindless scrolling of social media for an inspiring or uplifting podcast or light entertainment means a chance to relax without triggering stress.

It is important to be kind to oneself while studying abroad during exams: be compassionate in your human experience. Remember, the idea of perfection is false; there will be mistakes, there will be gaps, and there will be fatigue. During exams, being kind to ourselves is not a sign of weakness; it is a strength. Find joy in the fine things -- a chapter finished, waking up when you meant to, sleeping well. Exams are part of the journey of being a student, but mental health is what matters to the experience.

At the most potent level, the most important factors are: emotional integrity, systems, our community, downtimes, where we spend our energy, our culture, and kindness to self. Remember that studying abroad is about learning to thrive independently over your whole self: academically, emotionally, and cognitively. In time, assessments will reflect your capacity to be calm, balanced, and resilient as you navigate this new world. In the end, that is what success looks like when you are living and studying abroad.

By: Ms Ritika Gupta, CEO & Counsellor, AAera Consultants