Finals week is upon us. Every college student knows that it is the worst week of the semester, a time when all you want to do is crawl in your bed and stay there for the rest of your life, but instead you have to sit through exam after exam and pray you studied enough to pass. It can be easy to get overwhelmed and its not uncommon for students to have mental breakdowns.
It's important to take your health into consideration during this hellish week, both mental and physical. Everyone knows that stress isn’t good for you, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Here are some steps you can take to reduce your stress during finals week so you can hopefully make it out with your sanity intact.
Make sure you give yourself periodic breaks from studying.
As hard as it is to close the books and stop studying so close to the exams, there is such a thing as over-studying, and it's important to give your brain a break so it doesn’t get overwhelmed. Schedule an hour where you take a break from studying to get some lunch, some coffee, or even just to sit and read. Anything that will get your mind off studying for a little while and refresh your brain. It will help you recharge, refocus, and do better on your exams.
Get a good amount of sleep each night.
There’s no way you will get much done if you are a sleep-deprived zombie. Be sure to manage your time well so that you can get a decent amount of sleep each night. Staying up until 3 a.m. cramming for your 8 a.m. exam will only hurt you in the end.
I know its not everyone’s favorite, but even just going to the gym for a half hour, putting on some music, and doing a quick workout is a great way to relieve your stress and improve your health. It’ll make you feel great, as well as accomplished because, hey! You got yourself to the gym! Yay you!
Cramming is never a good idea.
Spread out your studying so that you aren’t up the night before the exam trying to cram all the information you can into your brain. I know from experience that all cramming does is makes it harder to focus during the test because of all the information you tried to remember but probably didn’t.
Do something during the week that calms you down and relieves your stress.
Most colleges offer some sort of stress free-activity, if not multiple ones. A popular one is “Puppies on Campus,” which if you can make it, I would recommend taking full advantage of that. Any type of activity where you aren’t forcing your brain to think about history or math or science is a good idea. It will relieve all your stress, and even if its only for a little while, it will still do wonders for your mental and physical health.
Surround yourself with other people.
Studying with friends will not only help you remember the information you're reviewing; it will also help provide you with moral support. Some of the best memories that can be made are made when you are sleep-deprived and so is everyone around you. If you surround yourself with friends during finals week you are guaranteed a few laugh sessions that will come out of everyone’s tiredness, and one of the best ways to relieve stress is by laughing.And finally...
Don't underestimate the power of coffee (or any caffeine).
I know it's not supposed to be good for you, but honestly, I don't know how people can get through finals without some sort of caffeine. Even if you're getting enough sleep, there's just something about sitting through a two and a half-hour exam that makes you want to take a nap. But if you've got more finals to take that day, a nap just isn't an option. Thats where the caffeine comes in. It'll give you the kick you need to sit through another two and a half-hour exam, until you can finally retire to the coziness of your bed and forget that finals exist.
