Looking back on it, finals week freshman year was absolutely horrible. I wasn’t prepared in any way, shape or form, and I had it in my mind I would pass with flying colours... simply because I went to class everyday and took "good" notes. I was wrong. Oh, so very wrong.
There are so many things I should have done differently, such as re-do the entire fall semester, pay more attention in class, try harder, and go to office hours. But as they say: hindsight is twenty-twenty, so here are seven tips to crush Finals Week—stress optional. Who am I kidding? We’re all going to stress, whether or not it’s actually merited.
Find a Quiet Place
This should go without saying, but sometimes we all need to hear the truth, no matter how obvious it is. Find somewhere quiet, away from your group of friends, where you can study with minimal distractions. Maybe only study with one friend. Once you get a big group together, no matter how good your intentions are, you will inevitably get distracted. Have at least three go-to places you can count on. There’s nothing worse then aimlessly walking around campus trying to find somewhere to study.
Have Snacks
This should go without saying, but sometimes we all need to hear the truth, no matter how obvious it is. Find somewhere quiet, away from your group of friends, where you can study with minimal distractions. Maybe only study with one friend. Once you get a big group together, no matter how good your intentions are, you will inevitable get distracted. Have at least three go-to places you can count on. There’s nothing worse then walking aimlessly around campus and into academic buildings trying to find somewhere to study.
Study With Acquaintances
Studying with friends is one things, but studying with people in your classes who aren’t really your friends—more like acquaintances—is a whole other ball game. The plus side to studying with acquaintances is that you come prepared to the study session and you’re more likely to hear concepts explained in a new way. This also gives you the opportunity to teach others, which in turn, helps you remember the information.
Make a Schedule
Planning things out saves you from hours of stress. Make a list: when your assignments are due, when your exams are, etc... Make a schedule of when you’re going to do everything. Being able to see the big picture—AKA the five papers you have—puts everything else into perspective. It reminds me you that you can’t use up all your stress on one paper.
There are two ways to go about tackling your assignments: 1. Do the hardest ones first because you’ll be the most motivated at the beginning of the week. 2. Do the assignments in the order in which they are due.
Also, the act of completing said schedule makes you feel like you accomplished something, and who can resist something that is color coded? Not me, that’s for sure.
Choice of Beverage
Coffee. Lots of coffee. However, it helps to switch between coffee, tea, and water because straight coffee leads to hearing colours, words moving across the page when they clearly shouldn’t be, and your hands shaking so much you can’t even write your name. If you need wine, that’s also acceptable. Just set up an IV, and you should be good to go.
Don't Study in the Same Place
You will drive yourself crazy sitting in the same classroom or library seat for the entire week. Switch it up. A change of scenery helps when studying and helps you remember information better. I like to rotate between my dining room table, the cafe downtown, the library, Starbucks, and the old library on campus. Getting off campus for a little while is also nice. While I can’t escape Finals, I can escape the tension and anxiety filled campus. There’s nothing I love more than going to the cafe downtown with my roommate, ordering a coffee—or five—and running away from my problems Patrick Star style.
Keep Your Body Alive
Please. Treat your body right. It is a temple, and it needs to be taken care of. Remember the three S’s: Shower. Sleep. Starbucks (jk coffee in general). A clean body is a happy body. A rested body is a happy body. And finally, a caffeinated body is a happy body. Also, remember to take a break from studying to catch up on your TV shows, go for a run, or eat some food.
If only someone had told me all of this Freshman year…Huge shoutout to Betsy Lownie, Hannah Brooks, and Erin McDonough for helping me compile this list. You will get through Finals Week. All of your assignments and exams will get done. You can do this.
