Starting the exam period!

Exam timetables have been released and dissertation and coursework deadlines are a thing of the past. Revision season is here! As a joint honours language student, this year I have twelve exams over the month of May. However, it’s not as scary as it sounds since each of them individually only counts for a small percentage of my degree, which takes the pressure off on the day.

Although some revision will be intense, for example grappling with theorists for the literary and cultural units, revision for oral and aural exams includes listening to podcasts, watching films and reading up on current affairs in your chosen languages – so it’s not all doom and gloom!

To stay immersed in French and Portuguese language and culture I’ve downloaded an app called ‘Overcast’. You can use it to listen to popular American podcasts and BBC radio as well as worldwide French and Portuguese-speaking stations and programmes at any time of the day. It helps me keep up with the French election, listen to a variety of Portuguese accents from Africa to Brazil as well as being great entertainment. Whether or not you study languages, I definitely recommend it!

As I’m sure you know, it’s easy to lose perspective during this stressful period so it’s good to learn how to balance your work with a good social life, exercise and free time. There is a lot of support and encouragement at the university in order to make life easier in this way. Lots of people try and spend the whole day (and sometimes night!) in the library but this can be completely counterproductive.

To keep level-headed here in Bristol I make sure I still go for a run on the lovely Downs at some point in the day (as long as it’s not too cold and rainy) and meet up with friends who do different courses in the evenings to avoid obsessing about those looming exams!

– Alba