All right ladies and gentleman, it is that time of the semester again. FINALS WEEK. In just two short (well actually very long) weeks, it will be summer and we will all be in our prospective states, beaches and summer jobs. But before we can all celebrate the fact that we made it through another year of college, we need to make it though our finals. Here are some tips to help, of course told with the help of some memes just to get you laughing, before you dive back into the studies.
Finish all essays and papers first.
Focusing on studying when you know you will have to bulls**t your way through a paper later in the night will stress you out to no end. Get all the papers you will have due a week or two out of the way before an exam so you'll have more time for studying later.
Make a schedule.
We have all made jokes about the girl who puts her whole life in her planner, but for finals week, you need it. Plan out study time, sleep time, friend time, relaxing time and even Netflix time if that's what you need to do. If you plan out all the necessities, you won't be lacking what you need and won't feel like studying is consuming your life.
Study time.
This major study tip wasn't given to me until this year, my senior year, and it is literally the key to passing your finals. Making note cards and study guides IS NOT studying. So do not wait to make 200+ notecards the night before the exam and think you studied. The chance of you retaining all of that information is so slim unless you're a super-genius. If you're a super-genius, you probably wouldn't be reading this because you're not worried about finals. Statistics say that if you are to make your study guide or note cards a week before your exam, and split the information up the two days before and really study it, your grades will be higher. I used this method for fall finals and definitely saw a difference.
Another study tip is that if possible, plan your study time so that you focus on one subject at a time. Sometimes this isn't possible because your professors planned two exams on the same day. If that is the case, split your nights 50/50. Study one subject until you reach your breaking point, take a break, then switch subjects.
Take care of yourself.
Now I know I'm about to sound like a mom, but if she was here she would tell you the same things I'm about to. During finals week you need to take care of yourself. We are all guilty of pulling all-nighters and drinking too much coffee or Red Bull. But you are lying to yourself if you say your best work is done under those conditions. This is where the schedule comes in. You need to sleep at least a little bit during this week, whether you become nocturnal and only sleep in the daytime or you are sleeping in your classes (I do not condone this!). Sleep is a must! Eat as healthy as possible. This is the hard one for me — during this horrible week I would much rather eat a pizza and fries than a salad. But eating food with higher nutrient levels helps your brain work and retain what you are spending all your time on.
Pre-exam.
All right, so exam day is here. Hopefully you got your 7-9 hours of sleep last night (we all know you didn't). You woke up early to cram before, which is okay, but make sure you leave 30 minutes to an hour before the exam to relax and give your brain a break. Go eat some breakfast — BRAIN FOOD! Wear comfy clothes that you won't have to fuss with during the exam. The standard yoga pants and t-shirt will do. Bring extra writing tools and/or batteries for the calculator if it's that kind of class. Do not forget a calculator! If you do, most school's tutoring center or student life has calculator they could loan. Take a deep breath and begin your exam!
During the exam.
The most important thing to remember is to not overthink a question. Trust yourself, you didn't study for that many hours to confuse yourself. If you get confused on a question, skip it and come back to it later. For any short answer or essay question, whatever you do, don't write nothing! Write something, anything, even if it's a plea to your professor (which I have done and he gave me half credit). Something is better than nothing, and you never know, it could be the answer they were looking for. Once you think you are done, give the whole exam a once-over. There may have been a question you missed, or you might need to re-check a problem you may not have done correctly. It won't take more than a couple minutes and it can save you a couple points.
Post-exam.
Celebrate, you finished one exam! Don't think about it over and over. It's over, you can't change it, you did your best! Give yourself some time after to either take a nap or watch an episode of your favorite show on Netflix before you start up on studying for tomorrow's exam.
Hopefully all these tips helped you with your studies and made you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, so use it during finals week. If you don't have someone around to make you laugh, watch Bob's Burger on Netflix, you'll thank me later! This is just a week, YOU CAN DO IT! Stay motivated, stay calm, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
