Dressing your way out of the exam slouch

Over study break, some of us may find that the hour we typically spend getting dressed and groomed each morning could be better invested in more constructive pursuits, eg studying.

However, having spent the past week hauled up in my room, practically chained to my desk with eyes repeatedly glossing over the same passage of Butterfield’s Whig Interpretation of History, I’ve come to realise there’s something totally motivational to be gleaned from getting dressed and leaving the troll den.

Rolling out of bed and staying in your pyjamas from dawn til dusk may seem like the ultimate holiday comfort, but when it comes to a productive study session, getting your brain out of R&R mode is essential. This is probably why school uniforms are scratchy and unpleasant, or why people wearing suits and ties around campus are assumed to be of some intellectual superiority to the rest of us slobs.

But even more important than the focussing powers of discomfort is the boost in self-esteem that comes with shaking the crumbs (and cobwebs) from your onesie, brushing your hair and teeth, putting on something that makes you feel good about yourself and declaring “I am woman (/man/other)”.

When setting out to write a piece on exam slouch clothes, the realisation hit me that this is exactly where we have been going wrong. Don’t let the books scuff your shine. Missed lectures and seminars spent on Facebook render the topics you should be ‘revising’ new and exciting, so approach them in a similar fashion as how you would a first date. Tame these topics as you would tame a man (/woman/other).

So for goodness’ sake, relegate those pyjamas to the washing machine. Tuck your shirt in, pull your socks up, put on your thinking cap and buckle down. Remind yourself that you’re a hot, strong and confident human being. These exams are in the (imitation designer) bag.