Finals, like death and taxes, are impossible to be avoided and they can verge from the saving grace of extra credit and optional to downright terrifying. But thinking about them like that won't actually help you much. Instead, try these 10 tips on making it through the last week.
10. Finals are tiny.
I know that may seem like the last thing you want to hear right now when finals are all that you are thinking about, but they really are. They are one week out of one semester, in four years of college that is only eight weeks. The day you turned 18, you had already lived about 940 weeks, and in an average lifetime, you may see about 4800 weeks pass by. You can live through one more week of terrible stress. There will be jobs, there will be triumphs, there will be losses, there will be deaths and births and so much more in your life than these tests. Whether you pass or fail them, finals will happen and you will go on.
9. You are not alone.
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Finals happen to everyone in college, and almost always the same week. There are thousands of other freaked out college students right now, all cramming to get as much done and as much learned as possible in time for them. If you need to, reach out to others, maybe they can help alleviate your stress in crunch time, and if you can spare it, help them study too.
8. Food is important.
Everyone likes food, everyone also wants to pass finals but you can't neglect your health--too much--in the process. Make sure you're keeping up with the calories or you might find yourself fainting on the way to an exam. Try to eat well too, high energy foods like fruits make for high brainpower as well.
7. Prioritize.
Now is not the time for that Netflix binge. Now is the time for focused studying. Find out what finals are your main concern and what assignments can get done in crunch time. Know that your friends are probably struggling too and finals are just one week. Even making a To-do list with the most important items first helps.
6. Schedule your productivity.
As busy as Finals week is, not everyone can do all the work on all their projects all the time. While it may not be time to start a massive show like "Supernatural" or "Grey's Anatomy," an episode of television or a diversion between study sessions can actually be helpful. If you break up your workload into pieces and give yourself short rewarding breaks--like looking at this puppy--then you might actually work better than if you powered through ten hours of course work.
5. You actually need sleep.
As tempting as it can be to read through your textbook or chisel away at papers until the sun comes back up, if you don't schedule in sleep somewhere, you'll be thoroughly exhausted and may even end up sleeping through your finals. Sleep nights when you can, if you can't, then take naps throughout the day. There's no shame in a siesta.
4. Keeping up your energy.
If you do go the route of staying up late and cramming, then coffee may be the way to go. Make your own or find a Starbucks open late, but if caffeine doesn't appeal to you, orange juice and anything with vitamin C can come in very useful and not that it's a priority right now, but it is a lot healthier.
3. Keep your eyes on summer.
Finals are final. After you're done, it's summertime and all those courses are long behind you. The week may feel like it takes forever but these courses are on numbered days and when you're done, you have summer vacation and good weather beckoning you and you can finally answer the call.
2. Remember why you are here.
You picked this college, you have picked these courses. Maybe they are gen eds or you're still not certain on your major, but you chose this because you're looking for something more. Even if you don't know what it is yet, know that finishing these courses are part of getting there.
1. Believe in yourself.
It is officially too late to drop your courses, and even if you are struggling, you got this far, so why not keep on going? It's so tempting just to give up, but you're so close to the end, and if you believe you can endure finals week, then you're already halfway there.
