Study week reboot

Fall is well underway and with it’s chilly mornings and shorter nights come a well deserved break: study week. Ok ok, I hear you say “Isn’t study week for studying?”. Of course: study week comes right before exam week, which marks the end of the first period of the semester. For some of us this means that the semester is halfway done (yay!), and for others it means the end of a class (double yay!), but both usually come with some evaluation, but you should still have time to have a little fun and relax a bit.

Like it’s name states, exam week is a full week when we don’t have any classes, and when some profs might decide to throw in a little midterm evaluation. The days before are also free of classes to let students study for their upcoming exams without having to deal with attending classes and other side projects. It’s a pretty sweet concept if you ask me, and here comes the best part: if, like me, you only have one exam in the exam week, then you have well enough time to study and also spend some time relaxing and enjoying the last good days before darkness overtakes the city. If you have many exams and are stressing out, do not panic! These activities are also a great way to take some time off in between intense study sessions.

My first suggestion for this wonderful week would be: SLEEP. If you’ve had more than enough 8am classes (shoutout to my SEE classmates, it’s been rough), enjoy the start of this week by not putting any alarm for the next day and enjoy a good morning of sleeping in. It’s going to recharge you for your week of studying or chilling, depending on your exams. 

After your morning in bed, why not stay the whole day in and do something you haven’t done in a while? Read a book, do a face-mask, watch that movie your friend has suggested, bake some cookies—it’s called self-care and it’s going to make you feel good both inside and out. Sometimes when caught up in classes, assignments and presentations, we forget to do the things that make us feel good and recharged. It’s the perfect way to reflect on the first period and get ready for the next one.

Ok, so now you are well rested: you should be ready to study for your exams, or even take this time to catch up on your assignments. Why not take this opportunity to discover a new study place? KTH has a great library, but if you’ve already sent enough time there for now, try another building (many have open-study areas) or even something outside of campus, like Stadsbibliotek.

After doing some good work, you’ll be in need for a break. Fika is a given, of course, but I suggest to also enjoy the beautiful colours fall have to offer by walking around the city or going for a run in one of the many parks around. Soon the leaves will fall but right now they offer a wonderful sight. You’ll soak up that vitamin D while soothing your brain with the yellow, orange and red Monet-like panoramas. It’s also a great occasion to see some things you haven’t had the chance to see since you’ve been here. Go to Gamla Stan; if it’s raining, go to ABBA museum; if not, go for a hike outside the city, the choice is yours! 

School is a balancing act between studying, socializing, and getting enough sleep, which might feel like being overtaken by a giant tsunami of stress but this mid-semester “break” is a great way to take time to settle and recharge. It’s important to feel rested and relaxed when overtaking the last part of the semester, so take advantage of it and enjoy!