Mistakes I did during brutal exam period

Now that I'm finally starting uni, I feel like it would be best to share the mistakes I did when I was studying for the hardest exams that I will probably ever face (during senior year), so that others won't do what I did and exprerience this a lot worse than it already is!!

1. Overdoing it at the start of the year (if you have months available for preparation).

No matter how much you fear of falling behind, it's important to NOT start pulling all-nighters just 2 months after school started. It's also not worth it to skip functions, friends and relationships (yes, relationships can work, even in these circumstances) when you still have enough time to enjoy them. No wonder why I burnt out during the time I should've reached peak academic performance. Study more hours with less and/or smaller breaks gradually, in order to have actual motivation to lock in.

2. Not getting enough sleep.

No one understands how lack of sleep actually affects them until they experience it. At the beginning you will think "it's okay I can cut some hours of sleep to study more", especially if you have a tight schedule. You won't even realise it when you stop being able to focus or do basic stuff in your daily life. Nobody wants to faint because of extreme fatigue. Should I even mention that it takes MONTHS to recover from sleep deprivation? Your immune system also becomes very fragile and you get sick a lot. I had bronchitis twice in only 2-3 months and trust me it's NOT fun. So, waking up at 6 am and going to sleep at 2 am is not gonna work twin.

3. Comparing myself to others.

"Omg x studied more hours than me", "y got a better grade than me" WHO cares? Focus on yourself and your own progress. No matter what parents and teachers say, you should only care about your own work and figure out a way to make studying more productive FOR YOU.

4. Believing that I wasn't doing enough.

Don't let others gaslight you just because you failed on something you knew you worked on. Having confidence in yourself and in the methods that you're applying will also motivate you a lot. Because when you have no motivation, there is not point in pressuring yourself to study and focus.

5. Letting personal stuff interfere with your studying

Try to not let drama like relationship and friendship break-ups get in the way. These are temporary, so they are unimportant. Your academic future, though, is important. Do people in senior year turn evil? Yes. But in uni/college you will definetely meet new people, who have similar interests with you (since you chose the same uni/college/major). High school isn't anything like this new chapter in your life. So, work towards your future and for the things that will matter.

Anyway I hope that these are helpful!!