There is a good chance you can relate to Leslie Knope right now (see above) and the stress of upcoming finals has actually begun to manifest into physical pain. Perhaps you think death is near and there is no way you are going to make it through to winter break in one piece. I know it's hard. I speak from experience - this is going to be my 7th undergraduate finals week. You can do it! We all believe in you.
If you're like me, you're probably reading this and thinking to yourself "hmm, I should really be studying right now, but I'd rather procrastinate." Well, I'm here to tell you a few things. 1) Procrastination is fine (in small doses). 2) If you remotely paid attention in class and study just a bit, you'll be fine. And 3) Even if you don't do well, I promise you will be okay and the world will not end. Just don't check your grades until next semester.
Whether this is your first time through the gauntlet or your first rodeo feels like ages ago, finals week is always a daunting task. Sometimes a buffer week for studying is thrown in there, but most likely you'll spend it hanging out and watching Netflix.
If you're now wondering, "what can I do?" Here are some tips that have helped me along the way.
If you feel like studying, try printing out anything that may be on your computer to avoid checking social media or shopping. Or, try out some cool apps such as Cold Turkey, Self Control (for Mac), StayFocusd for Google Chrome to help deal with distractions. Also, if you have Spotify, they have great curated playlists of all genres under the 'Focus' tab to help with studying. Check them out! We all occasionally need a bit of reinforcement to help deal with procrastination.
If you don't feel like studying, or feel like you've studied enough, try to enjoy life! Treat your body by getting some sleep, eating healthy (at least healthier than usual), and have some fun. I still recommend a bit of studying, but if that isn't how you flow, so be it. The point of this article isn't to tell anyone what to do. I'm simply trying to illuminate that dull light at the end of the tunnel.
Sometimes, it helps to have a bit of motivation to get through something unpleasant. Maybe for you that's a bowl of ice cream after studying, or a trip to the gym to release those endorphins. For me, there is definitely solace in knowing that Christmas and New Year's are right around the corner. The music and decorations don't hurt either.
Hopefully, after reading this you feel a bit less like this:
Just know, once it's all over, you have friends, family, multiple holidays, and hopefully lots of fun and gift exchanging to look forward to. Personally, I always feel like this.
Good luck!
-Brandon
P.S. I do not apologize for the excessive use of Parks and Rec gifs. If you haven't watched the series in its entirety, make it your priority over winter break. It's well worth it.
