Finals are coming up soon, and it's a stressful time for any college student. Here are a few ways to make studying for finals a little bit easier:
1. Find a good study spot.
Find a place to study where you can focus and get your work done without any distractions. For some people, working at a desk in their dorm room is sufficient; in my case, I tend to get distracted too easily there. Usually, I lock myself in the library and try to get my work done there. The library helps separate home from school, and if I'm there, I know that I'm supposed to be working instead of doing other things.
2. Come up with a system to keep from procrastinating
It's happened to everyone, and I know for certain that it's happened to me - you'll check Facebook for one minute, and then two hours later you're scrolling through cat videos and haven't gotten any work done. Come up with a way to keep yourself from getting distracted. Download a web app to use the Pomodoro technique, a time management system that breaks work into intervals using a timer. Be aware of how much time you spend working and how much time you spend on distractions, and only take breaks when needed.
3. Study what you know, but focus on what you don't
Sometimes, when I study, I get frustrated if I can't solve a problem. It feels satisfying to get practice problems right, so I'll go through a lot of problems that come easily to me and put aside problems that I'm struggling with. This isn't a good way to study. Make sure that you work through the problems you're having a hard time with. If needed, talk to the professor or study with classmates who can explain the material in a different way. Don't shy away from the subjects you're having trouble with, but tackle them head on.
4. Take care of yourself
It's hard to focus on studying if you're tired and hungry. Know when to put down the textbook and go to sleep. Eat regular and healthy meals. Get to bed early so that you're well-rested for the next day of studying. Take a twenty-minute nap to refresh yourself (but make sure you get yourself out of bed afterward!) Take necessary breaks. If you work nonstop, you'll feel burnt out by the time finals come around.
Follow these tips to do your best on finals - and then, once finals are over, you'll feel better knowing that you did everything you could to do well!
