In our sleepless nights and caffeine induced frenzies, we look for answers and ways out of the stresses of finals week. Online platforms have jumped on it, providing endless lists of tips and tricks to try, like Buzzfeed's 16 Study Hacks For Finals Week. So I took the initiative to test some of these suggestions, for the completely selfish reason that I was curious and desperate, and logged my results:

1. Take a caffeine nap

I was disappointed by this one because, unfortunately, I’m not a nap-lover. I always have a hard time falling asleep while the sun is still shining, and adding an excessive amount of caffeine to that made this trick even harder. If you try this trick, set an alarm, despite what the article tells you to do. You won't necessarily be wired to wake up in fifteen minutes, everyone responds to caffeine differently. I slept for three hours. So there's that.

2. Don’t over-caffeinate

I'm sure everyone reading this internally went, "Ha. Okay," but seriously, this one could be really beneficial. I limited myself to one cup of coffee per day for an entire week, and honestly, it felt good. I didn't have the jitters I get after three cups and I could still stay awake for as long as I needed.

3. Take frequent, short breaks

I’ve actually used this technique before and it has worked for me and many others. It can be easy to overload and cram while studying, but giving your brain a break can be very beneficial. Studies show that if you focus on something for too long, your performance and attentiveness dwindles. The key, I found, is to set a specific time frame for your break and stick to it! If you don’t, it's easier to fall off track and procrastinate.

Source: https://news.illinois.edu/blog/view/6367/205427

4. Eat Right

I was only successful in this category for a day because, well, it's finals week. If not for the way it makes you feel, do it for the sense of accomplishment it gives you. Especially during the times when you have four more chapters to memorize by 8:00 the next morning, there will be at least one thing you’ve done that feels productive.

5. Exercise regularly

I tried vigorous exercise, and honestly, it just made me feel even more tired and lazy. I suggest, unless vigorous exercise is part of your daily routine, to incorporate exercise in the regular events of your day, like walking to the library instead of taking the bus. You may see this as an accomplishment during the times you realize you haven't left your building in two or three days.

6. Avoid technology at all costs

Consciously making the decision to avoid technology and social media made me want to use it even more. Instead of focusing on the course work in front of me, I was thinking about the fact that I absolutely couldn't, under any circumstance, check my email or tweet. Maybe some kind of reverse psychology would work for this one, or just some good old self control.

7. Meditate

I liked this one, I really did. Though I may not have done it correctly, I probably just sat around with my eyes closed for twenty minutes, I did appreciate the time I gave myself to just relax and ground myself after the hours and hours of studying.

The main conclusion I came to after trying out these tips was that some just aren't realistic. If a student doesn't have the time to sit down and have a healthy meal, he or she can only stop by the vending machine for a bag of chips. If a student has an exam on Monday and it is Sunday night, he or she doesn't have time to meditate or take a nap. This list works under ideal circumstances, but do any of us college students live under ideal circumstances?

Though I have a fairly critical view of these lists, this experiment did help me find what worked for me while studying for exams. Not all of these will work for everyone, but I suggest trying them out like I did to find what works.