The air has a crisp chill, temperatures are dropping, drinks are progressively getting warmer, this can only mean one thing: finals season is rapidly approaching. Oh finals, your sweat-inducing panic is a rite of passage for most college students. But, there are a few things you can do to make it a little more bearable.
First, check the date and time of your final. Then check it again, ask your friends, confirm. The first step is showing up, and you can't do that if you mess up the date. Write it down, set alarms on your phone, or put it in your Google Calander, have your mom call you, I DON'T CARE. Just make sure you know when you need to go in.
Next, be realistic with yourself. I'm writing this about a month before my first final, and I'm starting my studying this weekend. But, if you've just stumbled upon my article eight hours before your bio final in a tear-ridden panic, be realistic. Will you go over every last thing from the past semester? Hell no. But if you've taken good notes (or gotten them from someone else), you're starting from somewhere, which is important. Look at your grade in the class and decide how much time you need to spend revising. If you're on the C+/B- range in your calculus class, you allocate more time to study this versus the English class you have an A in.
Make a plan, a good one. But, don't spend too much time on it. I don't like to schedule things by the hour because I like more flexibility in my day. If I'm really engrossed by a subject, I'm not going to stop. I much prefer writing out a to-do list and making sure everything is crossed off by the cutoff time I've set for myself.
Which brings me to my next point, you NEED to sleep and you NEED to eat. Keeping yourself healthy is extremely important because you want to do your best. Keep a water bottle and a snack by your desk. I delete all my social media and keep my phone locked away in a drawer when I'm studying. Out of sight, out of mind. \ Stop working at a certain point; my cutoff time is midnight. Take regular breaks to stretch your legs, or even better, schedule an hour of gym time to destress and clear your head.
Unfortunately, the rest of the world does not take a break during finals week. So, if you're reading this early enough, do as much as you can before the stress and rush of these high-stakes tests. I'm prewriting about a month's worth of Odyssey articles, finishing portfolios and chipping away at larger papers due later on. This makes me feel like I'm taking care of my future self and helping her later on. If you're reading this during finals week and it just seems impossible to get everything done, prioritize. Work and try your very best to get everything done, but think about asking for extensions or forgoing a few deadlines. It's obviously not ideal, but you need to prioritize yourself first.
So, this is your sign to stop scrolling, lock your phone away and start chipping away at finals studying. It will help.
Best of luck! Study hard!