In my second year I treated exam week like a hostage situation: twelve-hour library days, then a crash. Marks did not match the suffering.
The rule that stuck was simple. Ninety minutes of one topic, then a break that is actually a break — not “scroll while feeling bad.”
One topic per block
Mixed revision feels productive and retains less. I write the topic on a sticky before I start. If I finish early, I do retrieval (blank page) instead of opening a second module.
Rest is scheduled, not earned
Breaks are on the calendar before I begin. Walk, food, or a short call — not another problem set. When I use woods focus, the companion check-in after the block keeps me from stacking a second “just one more” session by default.
Exam week is a logistics problem as much as an intelligence one. Pace beats panic.