Finals. A word that makes everyone immediately stressed upon the first time hearing it. Finals week is a time where every single student is going through the same exact thing: loads of stress. Whether you have one, two, three or even five exams, the amount of studying you do in the span of two weeks will leave you feeling like your brain is mush. Well, finals week is coming up and here is how I am managing it.
With five exams coming up in the next week and a half, I definitely feel very overwhelmed by all of the preparing that I have to do. What is most stressful to me is balancing each subject and trying to spend time on everything equally. It can be difficult, but it is possible! The most helpful thing I have done for myself was writing down everything I have to do and checking it off when I completed it. This helps me because I can keep track of what I've done and what I need to do.
When you are studying a particular subject, do not think and worry about the other subjects and test you need to study for. Take your time focusing on one subject and really try to understand the material. Spending an hour or two on a subject a day is very beneficial, even if you think it's not. Once you feel like you understand a particular subject, move on to the next one! Someone once said to me that you need to fight each battle at a time. You cannot do it all at once, so focus on what is most important and take your time.
Based on what I just previously said, it is important to learn not to cram everything in last minute. The more time you give yourself to prepare for each test, the more time you can spend studying each subject equally. Focus on the most important subject first and start preparing days in advance. Preparing a week in advance is even better! The more effort you put into things, the greater the outcomes.
This brings me to my final point, that the most important thing you can do during finals week is to take care of yourself!! Take breaks between studying, go for a walk when you're feeling stressed, drink a lot of water, eat regularly, get a workout in, and get regular sleep.
I can't stress enough how important sleep and even just a simple break is for you! Many people think that studying till 4 am or pulling all-nighters will help them do better on their tests, but it really does the opposite. You need sleep to help retain all of the information you're learning, and you need it to keep yourself healthy and motivated. Your brain physically cannot study for hours and hours at a time, it needs breaks!
So, if you've been studying all day and you feel like you're physically and mentally drained, go home, put on a movie or music, light a candle, and just relax! That is the best thing you can do for yourself. Try not to over stress about finals, be prepared, motivated, focused on yourself, and you will crush those tests!