By: Jenna Beetstra
With final exams coming up, students are spending more time studying, less time sleeping, and even less time on things like getting ready in the morning. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you can learn how to be ready for anything as fast as possible. This is more geared towards females as I can’t really comment on what a guy does to get ready or how much time they spend in the morning. I’m willing to bet that, for the most part, it is much less than girls.
Below are some tips and tricks for being comfortable yet easily fashionable during exam season. Since the guys’ tips will be shorter than the females, I’ll start off with those.
Men, honestly, you could wear the same thing you wore yesterday and literally no one would notice. That makes me kind of jealous, but in my opinion it’s true. Most guys’ outfits are so simple that they don’t stand out in our memories enough for us to realize that you’ve worn the same dark hoodie multiple days this week.
Bad hair day? Throw on a toque or a hat. Beware: you must turn your hat backwards during the exam so that the prof can carefully examine all of your eye movements. If you’re not a backwards hat kind of guy you might want to steer clear of ball caps.
The hat trick works for ladies too if you haven’t had time to wash your hair in a few days. You could also put your hair in a messy bun or in a braid and nobody will know the difference.
Short hair? Don’t care! Dry shampoo will be your best friend. Many of you probably already swear by this product but if you haven’t heard of the trend yet. Batiste Original Dry Shampoo is the brand I use. It’s sold at drug stores or you can sometimes pick it up for cheaper at Winners!
As far as outfits go, leggings, thick socks (try a pair from Roots), some little slip-on booties, a plain T-shirt, and a cardigan is a super cute yet comfy option that doesn’t take any thought but still looks put together. Or, try a comfy, loose dress. People will think you put in more effort than you actually did.
And girls, never underestimate the power of a blanket scarf. You can basically wear a blanket out in public and other women will compliment you. They are one of the greatest creations for winter apparel. Look fashionable and chic, yet at the same time wrap yourself up like you’re snuggling on the couch binge-watching your favourite Netflix series. Honestly, why would anyone not love these?
Another option is one of my go-to outfits for exams is a pair of Lululemon leggings, Converse, and a hoodie. It might not be fashion magazine-worthy but 75 per cent of students will probably wearing the same thing, so at least you won’t stand out and can just focus on not bombing your exam. Plus those huge lecture halls can get cold so wearing something cozy like an SFU hoodie is always a good choice.
If you really don’t care just grab that snuggie that is probably shoved somewhere in the closet, put on your PJs, and write your exam comfier than everyone else — they’ll probably be jealous.
A few other tips for exams:
- Always bring water to an exam. I don’t know about the rest of you all, but going three hours without having any water makes me feel like I’m going to pass out. Plus you probably didn’t get enough sleep the night before so your body is already running on fumes, you might as well keep it hydrated. And don’t worry about needing to pee. Contrary to what your prof may say, I don’t think they are actually legally allowed to decline bathroom trips if you need to go. Usually they just require a TA of the same gender to go with you so that you aren’t swapping answers with your tutor out in the hallway.
- A simple one, but always bring extra pens and pencils. This seems like a silly one to need to say but you would be surprised at how many 20-year-olds still forget this basic exam writing necessity. You can also be a Godsend to some poor soul with nothing to write with.
- Have a snack or something to eat before your exam. There’s nothing worse than a grumbly tummy while 200 other students are silently trying to write an exam around you. “Sorry, that’s just my stomach thinking about all the food I’m going to devour after this hell is over.” Our brain needs nutrients to function so trust me, you will do better on the exam and it will be less painful with some food in your system.
- Tissues (if your prof allows them, some are weird) can save you from a sniffly, runny nose. Sneezing all over your exam is probably not going to help your grade so do your best to avoid that.
Good luck on your exams and may the curve be ever in your favour!
