Mental health and exam preparations

It's been 2 months since the EQE. For those who don't know this exam, it is the European Qualifying Examinations to qualify as a European Patent Attorney. It includes 4 exams on 4 subsequent days, each 4-7 hours long. In difficulty, it is often compared to the California bar exam.

I've been chatting with other candidates since the exam, and some of them are still having mental issues such as anxiety and nightmares because of the EQE.

I feel like we – but particularly employers – tend to neglect the mental part of an exam preparation.

Preparing for an exam for 3-4 years with no free time and no weekends while having a full time job and a family is hard. Very hard.

Your employer will push you and tell you to forget your friends and hobby for a few years and focus on studying. They will tell you to become better at time management.

What they won't tell you is that because of the stress you will need more sleep. Because of the pressure, you will need your friends more than ever. You might not be able to exercise as hard as before. You will need your hobby for your mental health.

It is your job to be extra kind to yourself and build a support system. For me, it included lots of Lindt Lindor chocolate balls and an amazing tutor, Volkan who always supported us mentally as well.