Here are five tips to get you through finals!
Yes, it’s that time again. After a semester of binge watching Netflix, over consuming alcohol and ordering pizza with your parents' credit card. are you staring at your syllabus crying? Do not fear. Here are some obvious but often overlooked tips to assist you get through finals.
1. Take Study Breaks
Believe it or not study breaks are crucial to your final success. Studies have shown that cramming decreases your retainment by 30%, and by taking frequent study breaks and allowing your mind to relax and focus on other things, you give yourself a chance to unpack dense material. Additionally, study breaks allow you to de-stress and reconnect with the real world.
2. Sleep
This may sound impossible, but studying is a must. Too many students walk into exam rooms after pulling an all-nighter. Although this is a hard concept to digest while you’re swarming in papers and exams, you need sleep. Studies have shown that students that get an adequate night’s rest the night before an exam outperform sleep deprived students by 5 points on final examinations.
3. Make a Schedule
While this may sound obvious, many students fail to space out work and make a sensible schedules. As a result, many of them end up pulling all-nighters and feeling terrible through finals week. Schedules will not only help you prioritize your schedule but will increase your confidence, allowing you to feel on top of the mounds of assignments and readings. Better students that prepare better, perform better.
4. Make Time for Your Friends and Family
I know you're staring at your screen thinking this one must be a mistake. However, studies have shown that students who communicate with their friends and family during finals week are more confident and less stressed, ultimately translating into higher scores. Taking a break to vent to your best friend or hear about the falling Christmas tree at home is never a bad idea.
5. Study!
Believe it or not, while some students move into the library for the last few weeks of the semester, others decide to avoid stress altogether by just not preparing. Be smart, create a schedule, plan breaks and treat yourself to comforting calls home or you favourite food. However, whatever you do, study. Finals are a large factor in many college students’ final grades, don’t allow your semester long work to become benign due to lazy study habits.
Good luck and cheers during this stressful time, and remember, this too shall pass.
