No matter what you do, no matter how well you plan, by the end of finals you feel like you’ve been hit by a Mac Truck. For some, finals are not too bad, for others its absolutely horrific. You hole yourself up in the library, your dorm room, or favorite study space to make sure you get everything done.
Your running on little to no sleep, trying to make sure you know the material for exams, and finish final papers, exams, and projects.
The reality is, there is no way to learn everything you need to know for an exam last minute. Either you know the material or you don’t. You can reteach yourself and try to cram some new knowledge into your brain, and trying to do that for five plus exams is not sustainable.
We are constantly trying to push ourselves to be the best and do our best. In these moments, it's imperative you remember to take care of yourself. A lot of people will get sick or be bed ridden after finals. It’s an unfortunate side effect of pushing ourselves to achieve optimal success.
Now, I don’t believe that this can be completely avoided. A major factor of finals is studying and forcing yourself to push your boundaries. However, I do believe there are key essentials we all must keep in mind.
Eating is important. Stress can affect people differently. Some people may stop eating, while others over eat. But it’s essential that you nourish your body with snacks or meals that will keep your energy high for your long days and nights.
Sleep! Trust me, I know getting sleep is very difficult during finals. Even if you are just taking spurts of 20 minute naps here and there. It’s crucial for your brain to retain information. It takes 1 hour and 30 minutes for a REM cycle to be completed, so maybe you can sneak in an hour and a half nap or a three-hour nap! In the end, it will help you more than it will harm you.
Going for a walk is a great way to take a break because it lets your mind and body recuperate. Your mind needs moments to decompress every once in a while. More so, sitting in the same position, without getting up and moving or stretching for prolonged periods of time is harsh on your body. So get up and move around for a little bit.
Finals is a dreadful time for us all. We are constantly forced to deal with high levels of stress and lack of sleep. No matter how you end up performing on your finals, it's important to remember that taking care of yourself is the number one priority.
