Finals week. Arguably the most dreadful time of the year. It's full of nothing but anxiety, stress, and tears. Colleges bring in therapy dogs just about every day to alleviate some of this stress. Different organizations hand out "finals survival kits" in hopes of bringing at least a slight smile to the faces of the academically hopeless college students that roam the campus, praying for at least a C on their final. As we approach finals week for Spring 2017, here are some do's and don'ts to help you survive the week.
1. Do eat healthy food.
One of the biggest mistakes college students make during finals week is choosing to to survive solely off of pizza and Chinese takeout. That is one of the worst things you could do to yourself. All of the unhealthy food you eat will make your body more sluggish and tired. That means that while you're trying to study for the biggest test of your life, your body is screaming, "JUST LET ME TAKE A NAP ALREADY." No one can get anything done with that going on.
2. Don't constantly pull all-nighters.
Sleep is one of the most important things people need. It allows time for our bodies to rest and for our brains to slow down and reset themselves before another day's work. Pulling one all-nighter is bad enough. Pulling multiple all-nighters in the same week is even worse. The lack of sleep can impair your judgment and actually make you do worse on your test. Your brain will be so tired that it won't be able to retain any of the information you try to stuff into it. So, make sure to catch some Z's!
3. Do start studying ahead of time.
I know that studying is literally the worst thing to do and that you would rather do anything but study. However, if you start studying before finals week begins, it will help alleviate some of the stress on you. Instead of not knowing anything, you'll know at least a little bit to help you get ahead.
4. Don't party too hard.
I understand that during finals week you feel as if you need to reward yourself for studying so hard or maybe just take a break from it all and go have some fun. The one thing you shouldn't do, though, is have too much fun. Going to frat parties and drinking every night during finals week could be potentially fatal to your grades. Not only will you not be studying while you're partaking, but you also won't be studying for hours upon hours after that while you come down and deal with your hangover. Partying may seem worth it at the time but when you get your grade back on the final you had the next day, it may not have been worth it after all.
5. Do know that everything will be okay.
In the end, a final is just another one of the millions of tests you'll have to take in your life. It may seem like the biggest deal right now, but know that thirty years down the road, you won't even remember what classes you took in college, let alone what grade you got on a final. You got this. Push through and make this finals week the best one yet.
