When you have three grade-determining finals in a two day period, but not within 24 hours so you can't move any of them, it seems like the only thing you can do is grab a few strong coffees from PCJ and live in the UL for the next 3 weeks. Of course, you have to study and that's important, but you should remember to take a step back and practice some self-care because finals szn can get painfully overwhelming. As the self-proclaimed queen of self-care, here are some great tips to get you started:
1. Naps
Naps have been scientifically proven to improve performance by giving a boost of energy to help you stay alert for the rest of the day. Most sleep scientists recommend 30-minute naps; however, I say why stop there? Go for 2 hours, 3 hours, or however long it truly takes to avoid committing to every responsibility you have. It's all in the name of self-care.
2. Treat Yo' Self
Tom and Donna were really onto something here. Finals are HARD and there are SO many of them in such a short period of time. Taking breaks between studying has also been proven to improve academic/work performance because it allows you to take some time away from what you're doing and come back to it with a fresh mind.
I recommend using these breaks very productively, such as taking a quick ice cream or coffee break on Franklin St. or using this time to extensively plan out every tiny detail of that vacation to Europe that you're going on this summer. Maybe if you spend enough time thinking about the Eiffel Tower, you can avoid taking your finals. Wishful thinking.
3. Face Masks
I can't quite pinpoint when face masks became so trendy, but there are hundreds of them out there in every type. You have peel off, sheet masks, and even overnight face masks now (not exactly sure how they work, but does that mean you have to sleep on your back the whole night?) in every "flavor" you can imagine. All the ads promise clear skin or reduced stress, but the effectiveness of face masks is actually quite questionable.
However, you can't deny how fun (and time-consuming) peeling off the masks are, and when all you really want to do is pretend that you're not failing 6/4 classes this semester, time-consuming is what you want.
4. Drop Out
This sounds extreme but hear me out: if you're not actually enrolled in a college, you don't have to take finals for the classes in that college. Self-care.
This is not in any way or form a definitive list of ways that you can take care of yourself this final seasons, but it's a beginning. Feel free to add your own forms of self-care. And if anyone can tell me how to pass Econ 101 or discrete math in the next three weeks, those tips are also much appreciated (this IS a cry for help, if that wasn't already clear).
