As December flies in, so do finals for every college student. Finals week is that dreaded time that every student despises. There is an increase in stress, lack of sleep, and a definite increase in coffee intake. Here are some tips on how to get through that dreaded finals week.
1. Take breaks from studying
If you try to sit down for hours at a time and study, you will just overwhelm yourself. In order for your brain to fully take in everything that you are studying, you need to take breaks and let your brain relax and absorb the information. Use this time to eat a healthy snack, or go for a quick jog.
2. Plan something to look forward to after finals
Plan something to do after finals are over that you can look forward to. Whether it is getting together with an old friend, a family night, a night out, or just a day you spend pampering yourself for all your hard work. Find something that will get you excited to get you through 'hell' week.
3. Be organized
Keep organized notes, flashcards, and other study materials. By staying organized you avoid the struggle of having to figure out what you are trying to study, you avoid having to find missing notes, and you can easily get your brain to focus. Try highlighting key points in your notes and color coding different topics.
4. Find a quiet space
Avoid any unnecessary distractions. This time is crucial to your grade, so you need to find all the time you can to study. Try going to the library, or finding a quiet, peaceful place for you to be alone with your thoughts with minimal distractions.
5. Form a study group
By getting together with classmates, you have the chance to combine notes that you may have missed in class, or get someone else's explanation of something you did not understand. Forming a study group can be beneficial to your grade because you can get together with other people from the same class and help each other understand the material.
6. Eat Healthy
When you’re studying for finals, good nutrition often slides way down on the priority list. It’s easy to get into the habit of glugging coffee and gobbling take-out pizza, because you don’t want to waste time on food preparation. But, actually, good nutrition should be part of your study plan because it’s going to help you ace those tests. The better the fuel your brain gets, the better you’ll study. It’s a…well…no-brainer.
7. Get some sleep
The trick to proper brain function and retaining information is sleep. Many students believe that if you stay up all night studying you will do better on the exam. WRONG. You need sleep in order for your brain to function properly. You will feel that after a good night's sleep, you will remember so much more.
8. Plan ahead
Plan what materials you should study so that you do not find yourself cramming to study for other exams. Make sure you have a study plan set so that you can keep yourself on track and get the grades you hope to get.
9. Focus
Put away the distractions. Turn the TV off, go to a quiet place, and leave the phone in another room. Finals week is representative of what you have learned all semester. Don't let silly distractions keep you from demonstrating your genius.
10. Find What Works For You
Find whatever it is that helps you study, whether it is listening to music, having a TV on in the background, studying with friends, using colors, sitting at a certain spot, etc. Use whatever technique helps you study and just go for it!
