UVA chief mental health officer: Easy ways to stay healthy, succeed during exams

December 4, 2025
illustration of a hand holding a pencil filling in a bubble sheet during a test.

(Illustration by John DiJulio, University Communications)

Final exams for the fall semester at the University of Virginia begin Dec. 11.

The approach of exams can be anxiety-provoking, but Nicole Ruzek, UVA’s chief mental health officer in the department of Student Health and Wellness, says there are some simple, commonsense steps students can take to make this period more manageable.

Nicole Ruzek

Chief Mental Health Officer Nicole Ruzek invites students to reach out to Student Health and Wellness anytime they are struggling. In addition to mental health support, the department offers medical, disability and wellbeing services. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

1. Take care of your body

It’s a step many people neglect when they are busy and feeling overwhelmed.

“The brain and the body are interconnected,” Ruzek said. “I often like to think of the brain like a high-performance engine. It needs quality fuel to keep running. It’s complicated, it gets tired and it runs out of fuel. So, being able to put in sufficient fuel, and enough fuel to keep going through finals season, is really important.”

Ruzek advised against skipping meals or pulling all-nighters, which deprives the brain of the fuel it needs. Eat balanced meals, have healthy snacks like cheese and nuts in your backpack and stay hydrated. “And then, also just moving your body, so not sitting stationary in one place for too long, because movement is another type of fuel for the body,” she said.

2. Make a study plan

Uncertainty is a major driver of anxiety, so planning out the days ahead of an exam is soothing and efficient.

“It’s really important to sketch out a plan for what, when, where and with whom students plan to study,” Ruzek said. It can also be helpful to outline study sessions, “whether that’s writing that down in a notebook, putting it into an app or on their calendar.”

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Identifying break times is also a good idea, be it to take a walk or have dinner. Simple preplanning also frees up brain energy to focus on academic material.

3. Prioritize tasks

Ruzek says students should avoid treating each item on a to-do list as equally weighted. It’s most efficient to decide which to do first, second, third and so forth.

“I think it’s tempting sometimes to do the things that we want to do because maybe we’re more interested in them or they just are more fun to do,” she explained. But that eats up time that could be better spent. “It can add a significant amount of stress and pressure.”

4. Limit social comparisons

Ruzek says she often counsels students to avoid the “But she’s doing it and makes it look so easy, why can’t I?” mindset.

“I don’t say avoid social comparison completely, because that’s not possible. But do try to catch yourself when you are making those social comparisons and remind yourself that you are not living inside the other person’s mind or body,” she cautions. “It may look like they’re totally crushing it and have everything under control, but you can’t know that for sure.”

People often have more going on than they reveal. They may be stressed or sleep-deprived.

When a student starts slipping into comparisons, Ruzek offers this advice. “Shift to a focus on comparing yourself to your own progress with yourself instead of others.”

Media Contacts

Jane Kelly

University News Senior Associate Office of University Communications

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