Finals can be one of the most stressful times as a college student. Although you may only be taking like six classes, those can add up when it comes down to the wire, and you need to study for them all. I get it, you tried to be that good student at the beginning of the semester, but in the end it doesn't always stay that way. I am going to give you a few tips on how to survive this finals season, and hopefully tips to use in the future.
1. Do Not Cram
Despite how many times you have heard a friend say that they stayed up all night to study, please do not follow in their footsteps. All this does is cause you to be more stressed out, not learn the information, and take away from time that you could be using to sleep. Start studying a few weeks in advance, and try to study one subject for a bit, take a break, then go back to it.
2. Get A Good Night's Sleep
I can not stress the importance of making sure to sleep during this time. Imagine walking in to a huge test with about 3 hours sleep. The result will not be pretty. I personally have gone into tests on 4 hours of sleep, and I know my grade took a huge hit because of it. Please listen to this advice, and try to avoid those all-nighters if you can.
3. Take Breaks
Now, if you are anything like me you find it hard to make time to relax. I had to learn this one the hard way. If you constantly study and do not give yourself breaks, you are more likely to not retain the information and to burn out. The best thing to do is study for an hour, then take a 5 to 10-minute break. It gives you enough time to recharge, and you feel better all around.
4. Eat Healthy
When studying for big tests, junk food is not the way to go. Try to balance your food groups during this time, and lay off the coffee when you can. I am not saying that you need to cut it out altogether, but what I am saying is you should not be living off of it during this period of time. Save the junk food as rewards for finishing studying or finals.
5. Use Acronyms
If you are having trouble remembering a sequence, pathway, or whatever is giving you grief, try using acronyms. Acronyms are probably one of the best ways to learn information because you can make them as weird as you want. I have come to find that the weirder my acronyms are, the more likely I am to remember the information. They can also help you relax. If they are on the funnier side, then they can help you to calm down in the middle of a test.
Finals can be difficult for anyone. I know that you can not follow all of these right now, but I hope that come your next midterm/final times that some of these can be helpful. Good luck!
