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07 June 2018 Photo Supplied
Emotional safety during examinations

Mid-year exams have begun and with crunch time comes emotional upheaval. However, it is manageable and should not deter you from the end-goal of succeeding in your studies while maintaining high mental health standards.

“The exam period is a time when stress and anxiety levels are higher than usual. Stress can be positive and help you stay motivated and focused. However, too much stress can be unhelpful and can make you feel overwhelmed, confused, exhausted and edgy,” says Dr Melissa Barnaschone, Director of Student Counselling and Development at the University of the Free State (UFS).

According to Helpguide.Org: Trusted guide to mental & emotional health, “Mental and emotional health is about being happy, self-confident, self-aware, and resilient. People who are mentally healthy are able to cope with life’s challenges and recover from setbacks. But mental and emotional health requires knowledge, understanding, and effort to maintain. If your mental health isn’t as solid as you’d like it to be, here’s the good news: there are many things you can do to boost your mood, build resilience, and get more enjoyment out of life.”

For further details on topics including: Building Better Mental Health, Emotional Intelligence Toolkit, Benefits of Mindfulness, Improving Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Cultivating Happiness, visit the Help Guide. 

Dr Barnaschone has a few tips on how Kovsies can better approach academic anxiety during the examination period. Here is what she has to say:

News Archive

Waldo Staude shares his vision
2014-10-13



Waldo Staude has recently been announced as our new Vice-President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) on the Bloemfontein Campus. And one thing that becomes clear as soon as you meet him, is his passion for leadership.

As a first-year, Staude was a resident in JBM Hertzog. This experience – living on campus together with his fellow students – gave him great insight into the dynamic of human relationships.

By joining the SRC and becoming the Vice-President, Staude believes that he will bring about positive change. "We all tend to complain that 'ja, the SRC doesn't do their job,'” Staude says. But it’s an entirely different reality, he explains, when you are actually in the situation yourself and trying to make a difference.

Through voting, he continues, students not only have an opportunity to raise their concerns, but they exercise their power to become pro-active on campus. "You can take a step and guide this university where it needs to go," he says.

Staude – currently studying BSc Agric – has great faith in South Africa. His dream and vision is to ultimately uplift as many of our country's people as he possibly can.


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