Thanksgiving is now over, unfortunately, and now we must set our gaze to the other Big Event lurking in the near future.
No, not Christmas. (Though that's a thing, too.)
Rather, I mean finals. Final exams.
Horrifying. Let's face it, most of us are nowhere near prepared and we know all too well that we're going to be blubbering from stress in a few weeks. And, because I'm a procrastinator who never learns, instead of actually doing my work I decided to look up some tips for exam season.
1. Don't pull an all-nighter.
Cramming always seems like a brilliant idea at the time, but it really isn't. Don't do it, you're just going to regret every decision you've made as you try to peel your eyelids open during the actual test. Coffee can only get you so far, my friends.
2. Turn off your phone/social media accounts.
Distractions are just that - distractions. Having your study time interrupted every few minutes by Facebook or Twitter really isn't going to help you prepare for those finals, buddy. Turn off your phone, don't have Facebook/Twitter/etc. open on your tabs, and just study.
3. Eat well.
Starving yourself for the sake of cramming is also counterproductive, so don't do it. Besides, being distracted by hunger during exams is a bad idea. Be sure to eat foods that are digested slowly, like whole grains, fresh vegetables, and proteins. A word to the wise, nuts are supposedly very helpful for memory retention!
4. Take breaks.
Going on a study binge is fantastic, good for you, but after a while your brain starts to feel like it's leaking out of your ears. Every hour or so, get up and stretch or just walk around, get your blood circulating properly. Trying to force yourself to remember everything in one sitting won't work, and you're only going to feel even more frustrated and stressed.
As a freshman myself, I'm waiting for finals with dread and terror, but sitting around moaning about how awful things are isn't going to prepare me for those tests. Hopefully these four very simple tips will help a bit (though a lot of them are common sense), and I hope you all survive finals week, my friends.
