Anyone who’s ever gone through finals week in college can tell you just how stressful it can be to have to prepare for five (or more) huge exams/projects all taking place within the same week. I start stressing about finals the second I begin my classes, wondering if they will end up being cumulative, if I will have more than one in a day, what is the structure of the exam will be, will it be a project... the questions and concerns are endless. Of course, with my luck, I have been blessed with four straight semesters of all cumulative exams, falling within the span of three days. It is torturous, but there are ways to cope. Here are a few of my favorite ways to lighten up my finals week, and create a way to not be so full of stress.
Make to-do lists with times.
In my opinion, to-do lists are the best things ever invented. When you plan out what you need to get done, and by when, life becomes so much easier. One of the hardest parts about finals is that you work yourself up about having to study for so many things at once that often time you end up not putting adequate time into each subject. What I find to be the easiest way to make a to-do list is to allocate certain periods of time to spend on each thing I need to get done, that way at the end of the day I know I’ve completed all of the tasks I had set for myself.
Make time to go to the gym.
While I can’t say I always execute my plans to go to the gym, it is extremely important to set some time aside and exercise every day especially during a week as hectic as finals. I usually incorporate going to the gym on my to-do list, that way I feel unaccomplished if I don’t actually go because I wouldn’t have checked off everything on my list for that day. All you need is an hour, and it’s a great study break!
Go to bed early and wake up early.
One of the biggest problems I feel most people have when trying to cram for exams is that they think staying up late will be beneficial. Whenever I do this, I am extremely groggy and tired in the morning and have a hard time starting my day as early as I would like. If I end up sleeping in, I feel like I lost valuable time in my day. The key is when you are asking yourself while studying at night, “Should I go to bed or stay up for another hour?” you should choose to go to bed. In reality, my brain is no longer functioning past 11 p.m.
Find time to have three meals in the day.
As many of us can relate, it is hard enough to keep up with a normal eating schedule during college in general. You either find yourself eating way too much, or skipping out on important meals because you are so busy. It is extremely helpful for me to make it a priority to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner during a long day of studying. Food will also give you energy and keep you feeling good while you are studying all day long. I would even throw dessert in too!
