Should one stop fasting on Mondays and Thursdays to please one's mother and dedicate time to studying, given the fear of being overwhelmed by desires during exam periods?

We advise you to convince your mother of the benefits of fasting in refining your character and having your prayers answered, and promise her that you will partake in the pre-dawn meal (suhoor). If she insists on preventing you from observing a supererogatory fast, then honoring one's parents takes precedence over it, unless there is no alternative to fasting for mitigating sins, in which case Allah's command to fast takes precedence.