Surviving an Arduous April: Tips for Staying Healthy During Exams and Juries
T.S. Eliot famously described April as “the cruelest month,” and I suspect that a lot of college music students would wholeheartedly agree with him. Already exhausted following the summer festival/college auditions of January and February and the taxing waiting period of March, we students often find ourselves running on empty at the exact time that we need the most focus and energy: exam and jury month. However, in our efforts to function at our highest potential, we often dig ourselves further into a hole by throwing ourselves into our studies and throwing all thoughts of good health out the figurative window. Luckily, a few simple lifestyle considerations throughout these stressful weeks can help you to do your best at all your important activities without having to take all of May to recover. Here are five ways you can be health-conscious and avoid the pitfalls of “crunch time”:
1. Don’t pull an all-nighter.
If the sky is looking like this and you haven’t gone to bed yet, you know you’re in trouble.
Such an experience might seem to be the hallmark of the college exam week experience, but forcing yourself to stay up until dawn will ultimately do more harm than good. You don’t have to be a doctor to know that losing sleep can cause a whole host of health issues, and passing out in your dorm room for fifteen hours after that big theory exam won’t immediately rectify that situation. I remember one particularly stressful year in undergrad where I didn’t get nearly as much sleep as I should have, and it usually took me a couple weeks upon my return home to regain my optimal levels of strength and energy. Losing sleep puts an exorbitant amount of stress on the body whether you know it or not, and while the effects of this stress might not be immediately apparent, it will certainly come back to bite you a few years down the road. Furthermore, the various foods and beverages one might consume in an effort to stay up into the wee hours are not exactly the sorts of things one might find in the now-defunct food pyramid (I’m somewhat unfamiliar with the new “food plate” introduced a while back, but I’m assuming that it is not primarily filled with coffee and red bull). The combination of stress, little or no sleep, and a diet rich in caffeine will only weaken your immune system and render you susceptible to that nasty cold that’s going around, which will definitely not serve you well the next week when you’re trying to focus on your jury repertoire. So try to get at least six hours of sleep every night–it will only help you.
2. Plan ahead!
Chances are, if you get to the point where an all-nighter is necessary, you’re not going to be winning too many awards for your organizational skills. While unforeseen circumstances can sometimes necessitate drastic measures, it’s usually possible to avoid having to cram at the last minute if you conscientiously plan ahead. Make a calendar for yourself containing all of your upcoming important dates and deadlines, and check it daily to ensure that you’re on track to accomplish your tasks in advance. This is especially important when it comes to preparing for juries or recitals, because those are things that you really can’t cram for. This may seem obvious, but I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve witnessed various students seem perfectly happy and content two weeks before a jury, and then post ten Facebook statuses the week before bemoaning how unprepared and stressed they are. A good rule of thumb is to push yourself to be absolutely prepared at least two weeks prior to the big day. Then, you’ll have time to get your act together even if some things still need some work, whereas if you keep telling yourself that you still have time, you’ll only create more stress for yourself when you realize it’s the night before and you still can’t play your octaves in tune.
3. Don’t succumb to the allure of college diet.
You might want to think twice if you’re letting this be your breakfast.
If your breakfast consists of a mocha latte, your lunch consists of a greasy cafeteria sandwich, and your dinner consists of ramen noodles made with water from the bathroom sink (“they have great water in New York state, right??”), it may be time to consider a healthier diet. Not only will you be chewing fewer tums over the next month, but you’ll be able to take advantage of more natural sources of energy: fruits and vegetables! Having three square meals a day can do wonders for your focus and concentration, and it’s definitely worth the effort to ensure that your daily food intake resembles the food pyramid/plate to some extent. This means cutting out the copious amounts off coffee, sugary desserts, and other unhealthy options you might have relied on to procure energy. Such a dieting plan is cost-effective, too–it’s certainly much cheaper to make a big (and healthy!) soup or casserole at the beginning of the week and consume it gradually as the days go by than repeatedly making an appearance at the local coffeehouse for that expensive but oh-so-good Choco-Frappucino Grande with seven shots of espresso.
4. Hit the gym….or at least your bedroom floor.
I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be advising people to intentionally put themselves through that cruel and unusual punishment that we call “exercise”–after all, some of my worst childhood memories took place in gym class–but after not exercising regularly for a few years, I began to realize that working out on at least a semi-regular basis can be a critical key to success in all of one’s college-related endeavors. Full disclosure: I really don’t work out very much….at all….but for those of you with greater willpower, determination, and the ability arise before 8 A.M. (another good reason to actually sleep at night!!), I’d definitely recommend it. If nothing else, commit yourself to doing ten push-ups before breakfast, or doing some crunches in the mid-afternoon. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, go out for a morning run (if you live in a relatively safe area), or a fast walk (if you live in a relatively unsafe area). In fact, I’ve known many musicians who claim that working out ultimately enhances their focus and allows for them to release tension much more efficiently in performances. My own father even played an entire opera once after running the Chicago Marathon (although this may not be an optimal activity on the day of the jury).
5. Take a break!
While the overwhelming amount of preparation expected of you might cause you to regard any time away from your instrument or theory book as time wasted, taking a break from the figurative grindstone is actually crucial to success. Engaging your mind in other ways–such as a watching a movie, reading a (non-music-related) book, or going out with friends–allows for you to relax both mentally and physically, and to come back to your work with a renewed energy and focus. After all, if you’re well-prepared, you shouldn’t be having to lock yourself up in the practice room or the library until the very last minute anyhow. Go out and have some fun, and look forward to your long-awaited freedom in May. April can certainly be stressful for us music students, but if you remain health conscious and avoid all of its potential hazards, you can turn it from the cruelest month into a most successful one.