Finals week will likely be one of the worst weeks of your young adult life. The pressure to make that passing grade has the potential to lift your spirits or bury you in the ground. A brutal comparison, I know, but as a finals survivor, I can confirm that this week is one of the most emotionally stressful ones you can have. It's hard to imagine how I got through these weeks in the past, but in retrospect, these are a few of the ways I managed:
1. Work out.
I always think I don’t have enough time to exercise during finals or dead week, but believe me, you always do because you have to make time for it. After sitting in a cramped room to study for eight plus hours or have been crouched over a test while stress eats away at you, working out is the best pain relief you can get. Even if you can spare just 15 minutes in your dorm room for stretching or yoga, your day will get much more bearable.
2. Buy healthy snacks… and lots of them.
I know two types of people during finals: those who skip meals entirely and those who eat like crap. Don’t be either one of these. I always make a quick stop to a grocery store and grab healthy snacks like nuts and fruits – trust me, there is no better remedy for a tired mind.
3. Study in different places.
I remember one distinct study session I had with some friends last year where we stayed in a corner of the library for seven hours, even bringing our meals from the dining hall there. Mentally, I checked out about three hours in because I was just going nuts there. Distribute your time among different spots and even different buildings. I migrate between the library and classrooms of different buildings, and somehow, I keep myself together.
4. Make study buddies.
If studying itself already sucks, studying alone sucks even more. Although there are some people you shouldn’t study with because you’ll get distracted, I always find people who need to be as focused as I am to spend time with as I cram. Whenever you need a slight distraction or a bad pun to motivate you, a friend can come in handy.
5. Create a study plan.
You’ll be stressed during finals, but I guarantee you’ll feel more stressed if you’re disorganized. I like to map out my classes, commitments, meetings, meals, and after all that, create blocks of time when I can study. Even if you don’t strictly follow this setup, it helps to have a loose idea of what you should be doing at certain times.
6. Know when your tests are.
One of the biggest horror stories I’ve heard from my friends and professors is getting confused about the time of your final. Your test will likely not be the same time as your class is. Check the finals schedule online and make sure to confirm it with all your teachers so you don’t end up with a zero on a final because you didn’t even show up. What a nightmare.
7. Have time for socializing.
Put aside 30 minutes (at least) for your friends in a day. Although you may think studying for hours on end is effective, at some point, you’re not being efficient. I always find a few moments of laughter, complaining and stories with my friends strengthens my will to get through my work.
8. Get enough sleep.
The biggest sacrifice you’ll likely make during finals week is sleep. The biggest sacrifice you shouldn’t make during finals week is sleep. The worst feeling in the world is getting two hours of a sleep before a test because you were cramming and still doing terribly. Set a minimum of six hours aside for sleep because it is truly an underrated necessity.
