Finals season is upon us. Like every other end of semester, it seems like professors have kicked it into high-gear and have assigned multiple term papers, assignments, and exams every week. It is almost like they did not hand out a syllabus and course outline at the beginning of the semester or rather I have not looked at said documents since the first week. With all this going on, it is difficult to see past the imminent storm of work into the not-too-distant summer vacation.
With a plethora of things to do on a daily basis, it is sometimes easy to forget about taking care of yourself. A vital part of surviving the last few weeks of the semester is exactly that -- surviving. Between classes and studying and trying to keep up some semblance of a social life, remember to take care of yourself. Eat food, bathe regularly, and sleep as much as possible. Try to eat as healthy as possible, not just chips and frozen pizza, and get a decent amount of sleep. By doing this, you are helping yourself mentally prepare for Finals Week. No amount of studying can make up for a malnourished sleep-deprived mind.
Another way to help yourself is to take time to relax. While it is important to study for exams, it is 100 percent okay to take breaks from it. Make a schedule for yourself that allows you to have time for things you enjoy. Whether it is going to the gym for an aerobics class or watching a show on Netflix, these small rewards can be used as motivational tools for your study time.
Studying is an unavoidable part of being a college student but that does not mean you have to do it alone. Study with groups so that you can suffer with company. Nothing says "friendship" quite like cramming for an exam does. Plus having a group around can keep you awake and entertained if you give up on studying. Echoing groans of despair the night or morning of a final are great indicators that you may not be alone in your helplessness.
Finals season is long and arduous, but do not let yourself give up. This is the homestretch people. After finals, it is the summer. For some of us (me) it is our final summer. We are nearly real adults who have to get real jobs and stress about bills and groceries and careers, but not right now. I will take stressing about finals over stressing about real-life any day! Once finals are done with, it is time to go home and get tan.
As you stress out about finals, just remember this: in just over a month, all you will have to worry about is hoping your sunburn fades quickly.
