You may be thinking, formal season, warmer weather, and summer, but there is something much more serious at stake.  The late spring months of April and May can only mean one thing: spring semester finals.  That’s right, for the next few weeks, students all across the nation will start to prepare themselves for one of the most hectic and stressful times of their life.  If you apply to the description above, don’t fret because The Odyssey has some awesome tips for a successful finals week!

Study – This might seem so blatantly obvious that it doesn’t even need to be mentioned, but surprisingly some brave students believe they can power through finals without opening a book.  Sadly this is not true.  If you are serious about your education you need to buckle down and put your mind to work.  Study hard and study well, be organized and don’t wait until the last minute.  Remember, you waste time complaining about not wanting to study when you could actually be getting work done.

Get Good Sleep – A proper sleeping schedule might turn out to be your most successful study aid.  We know it’s college and you are bound to pull a few all-nighters here and there, but try not to make it a habit.  Eventually sleep deprivation will rear its’ ugly head, and by morning you won’t be able to get anything done. 

Manage Your Time – Time is one of the most important parts of having a successful finals week.  Properly managing your time between studying and exams can be the line between your triumph or failure.  If you have a few days of nothing to do after classes end don’t use them to get blackout, use them to get a head start on your studying.  College is the time to start being responsible, so buckle down and get the grade you deserve.

Form a Study Group – If you know a bunch of other people in one of your classes, why not make a study group?  You can collaborate and work together collectively to gain a better understanding and new perspective on the knowledge you’ve learned.  Who knows, perhaps someone in the group will give you insight to something you had not known beforehand.  Sometimes power comes in numbers, so take advantage of it.

Take Breaks – Taking a break in between study sessions can be just as helpful as the actually studying.  Sometimes your brain needs a rest, so grab a coffee or watch one of you favorite TV shows and then get back to work.  However, be cautious at how long you give yourself a break.  Thirty minutes to an hour would be an adequate time frame, anything past that you probably won’t go back to studying.

Hopefully these tips have provided you with a basis to begin one of your most productive finals weeks ever!  Remember, one test does not define your intellectual abilities or your future attainments but it is always better to at least give it your best shot than sitting back and doing nothing.  The Odyssey wishes you good luck in the upcoming weeks; study hard!