Exams at Edinburgh University: A survival guide for the sleep deprived

Exam season at the University of Edinburgh has a way of taking over everything. Suddenly, George Square is busier than ever, the library feels like a second home, and everyone around you seems to be doing more, revising better, and coping perfectly.

It’s intense, it’s exhausting, and at times it can feel completely overwhelming. But surviving exam season isn’t about being the most stressed or the most studious person in the room. It’s about finding a way to get through it that actually works for you.

1. Find a balance

It sounds obvious, but it’s the first thing to disappear when exam season hits. Somewhere between your third coffee and your tenth reread of lecture slides, you start to believe you need to know everything. You don’t.

As important as your degree feels right now, you are more important.
Give yourself permission to switch off. See your friends. Go for a coffee. Sit in the Meadows and do absolutely nothing for a while. The work will still be there when you get back, but you’ll be better for it.

2. Stop at a certain time

If you are going to ignore the first point and revise from sunrise to sunset, at least give yourself a cut-off.

There’s a point where your brain just stops taking things in. Pushing past that doesn’t make you productive, it just makes you exhausted. Whether you work best at 9am or 2am, set a time to stop and actually stick to it. Rest is part of revision, not a reward for finishing it.

3. Focus on yourself, not everyone else

It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in what everyone around you is doing. Someone’s been in the library since 8am. Another has already finished all their revision, while another swears by a colour-coded system that you’ve never even heard of.

Different methods work for different people, and you never know someone else’s situation; how they study, what they’re struggling with, or whether their approach is even working. Comparing yourself will only distract you and make you second-guess your own progress.

Focus on what helps you understand the material. If it works, it works.

4. Lower the pressure (slightly)

Not every exam is the be-all and end-all, even if it feels like it right now.

University has a way of making everything feel incredibly high stakes, but one exam won’t define you. Do your best, absolutely, but don’t let the fear of getting it wrong stop you from actually revising effectively.

4. Take care of the basics

Don’t do this ^

Most Read

People find ‘evidence’ iconic Love Is Blind couple who’ve been married for four years have split

Where is Zoe Sugg?! A full investigation into what’s happened to Zoella as she disappears

UK influencer vanishes in Morocco after mysteriously telling friends she’d ‘run out of money’

Sleep, food, water. Boring, but essential.

Skipping meals, living off caffeine, and running on four hours of sleep might feel like part of the “exam grind,” but it’s the fastest way to burn out. Your brain needs fuel to function. Treat it like you actually want it to work.

Keep your fridge stocked and your heart happy. 

5. Use the services available to you

Support does not always mean a therapist or a counsellor. Sometimes it is just having someone to talk to, even anonymously.

If things start to feel overwhelming, reach out. You can contact the University of Edinburgh Student Wellbeing Service for advice and support, whether it is stress, anxiety, or just feeling stuck. Even a short conversation can make things feel more manageable.

There is also Edinburgh Nightline, a confidential listening service run by students, for students, which you can call or message during the night if everything feels a bit too much.

And beyond the university, services like Samaritans are available 24 hours a day if you need someone to talk to.

Finally, if your circumstances are affecting your ability to sit or prepare for exams, it is also worth looking into exceptional circumstances support through the university.

Reaching out does not mean you are failing. It just means you are taking care of yourself, which is exactly what you should be doing.

6. REMEMBER: It will end

At some point, you will close your last exam paper, walk out, and it will be over.

The stress, the long days in the library, the mild panic, it’s all temporary. And when it’s done, you’ll wonder why you were quite so hard on yourself.