It’s that time again! December and May are two of the most dreadful months for college students because of one simple fact: Finals are approaching, and we start to freak.
Try to relax a bit; we’re all in this together. These are some tips to remember when finals week hits.
Stay Motivated
It is so easy to get discouraged during finals week. You’re so close to being finished that you can taste it, and you really just want everything to be done and over with, but everything you’ve learned this semester is being thrown back at you at one last time.
It’s easy to panic. It’s easy to procrastinate.
Please try your hardest to resist both of those. Yes, that essay is important. Yes, that take home exam is 100 questions and due at midnight. But you are so close to your next step, and the sooner everything is finished and turned in, the better you’ll feel.
If you’re having trouble staying off of Facebook and Twitter, use Stayfocusd.com. It temporarily disables certain websites so you limit your distractions and stay on track. Or, if you have a Mac, you can also use an app that you can find on Selfcontrolapp.com.
The pain of finals week is temporary, but your degree is forever. Remember that.
Stay Hydrated
Always keep a water bottle around. If you’re not the biggest fan of water, like myself, try flavored vitamin water. It’s the same thing, and the nutrients give you extra energy. When you get a little restless while studying or if you’re starting to get bored, your brain usually reaches for something to tap or play with. Keep a drink close: You’ll drink it when you’re bored, and it’ll keep you hydrated.
Please Eat
Do not study or do homework through meals. You have to keep your body on a regular schedule and keep your nutrients up. You’ll be groggy and unfocused if you don’t have anything in your stomach, and all that studying you do won’t be very helpful.
Please, please, please take 15 minutes to go to the kitchen, make a sandwich, sit down, and eat it. Your mind and body will both thank you later.
Sleep Sleep Sleep
I know that there are not enough hours in the day. Trust me, I have been there. Hell, I am there currently, and I understand entirely. But you have to rest. You have to get some sleep. The most common thing you hear during finals week is “I’m so tired” and “I pulled an all-nighter." If you stay up all night finishing that eight-page English paper, you’re not helping yourself for that 9 a.m. calc exam you have the next morning. Don’t rely on energy drinks, either. You’ll only crash harder.
Study Groups are Your Friend
Working in a study group can be so much easier than working by yourself. It can even be fun. Whether or not you all are working on the same assignment or eight different assignments, having people around you can ease the stress and pressure. You can also help each other, ask for different opinions and perspectives on essay ideas, and decide which movie you all get to reward yourselves with at the end of the night when you’ve made serious progress and need a break. All of your classmates feel just as stressed as you do, and it can be a comforting feeling to know you’re not by yourself in this stressful time.
Manage Your Time
Schedule your study time. Know what you have to get done, when it needs to be done by, and be smart about it. Write down dates, and write them down again. Actually, write down everything. Even schedule some time to cry if you need to—crying can be healthy! And as the wise man Lin-Manuel Miranda (sorry guys, theater nerd here) once wrote, "Take a break!" Close that textbook and go for a walk by yourself, with a friend, with your mom, with your dog. Go watch the next episode of that Netflix show you’ve been binge-watching. Bake some cookies or cupcakes, eat two because you deserve it, and then take another crack at that zoology assignment. Just pace yourself in everything you do because, yes, finals are important, but your mental health comes first. It comes first now, and it comes first always.
