Ladies and gentlemen, it is that time of year again in which all of us need to bunker down and prepare for the storm ahead.
That's right.
It's Finals Season.
In just a few weeks, all of us will be pulling our hair out, buying endless amounts of coffee to keep us up, potentially crying, and not getting enough sleep.
If you've already been doing all of the scenarios I just described, it seems you've been preparing yourself all these months.
Telling all of you to stay calm is easy to say instead of actually doing so, so I'm going to say that freaking out is absolutely okay and normal. This is the most stressful time of the year and no one expects you to even be acting like a sane human being. That's one of the joys in being a college student: everyone understands the struggle we're all going through.
With Thanksgiving in just a couple days, we must be prepared for anything and that includes a list of things.
1. No Distractions or Procrastinating
As much as it pains me to say this, Netflix and catching up on Game of Thrones are not options, even if watching Jon Snow is absolutely wonderful.
Staying on top of your homework and studying is crucial to winning the Battle of the Finals, which all of you definitely know.
While you are studying, being with friends who you know can motivate you to stay focused are the ones you should be with. I am one to get distracted very easily, but when I am with one or two of my friends who are trying to get their work done, they lecture me to stop getting off track. Those are the people you need in your life.
2. Don't Study the Night Before
Just... Please don't.
If you have already done so and have succeeded, please teach me your ways.
3. Sleep
Please make sure you get enough sleep during Finals Week. In order to retain all of that information and knowledge you have read over and over in your mind, you need to sleep. If anything, you can wake up early the next day and continue to study, but don't pull all-nighters and please don't be like Patrick.
4. Organization & Time Management
Being organized and staying on top of everything is key to doing well throughout the week. Keep everything in the correct date order and in a folder that is labeled with the name of the course and with any additional books that are needed.
Most importantly, learning to manage your time wisely can help prevent you from going absolutely insane. Create a Time Schedule and figure out how long you should study for each of your courses or how long you think it will take to complete a project or essay. With that, you can also work out how many hours of sleep you will be earning for yourself.
5. Stay Alive
There is not much else I can say that any of you don't already know. But what I can say is we're going to get through this together and may the odds be ever in our favor.
