Winter Break is almost here, and we all know what that means...Christmas! But before we can sip eggnog and eat cookies in front of a twinkling Christmas tree with our friends and family we must pass the most dreaded obstacle known to students: finals week. Finals week is a time of late nights, caffeine highs, and contemplation. Why did I choose biochem as my major? What is the minimum grade that I need to get on the final to pass the class? Will I make it out of this crazy, stressful week with my sanity intact? These questions are very personal, and while I can't answer them I can provide some guidance when it comes to finding the best places to study, as well as a few Holy Grail tips that I use in my own studies.

The Best Places to Study for Finals

1. Crepevine

This place is my absolute favorite place to study, and it is right off campus! It is almost always empty and there are plenty of places to sit with friends and study. There is free WiFi and when you use it you get a free coffee with purchase of a breakfast crepe. If you do not want the crepe at the time, though, the coffee is pretty cheap and refills are free. You can literally sit there as long as you like, drinking endless cups of coffee, and the staff won't say a word. There are two locations at your convenience. One off of Railroad Avenue and the other off of Monroe Street!

2. Starbucks

Okay, I know some people are scoffing "Ha, good luck getting a seat there!" but it is actually possible if you go far enough away from campus. I personally prefer the one on Monroe near the Tallahassee mall. While the cafe is smaller than some Starbucks, I can always find a seat, and I can get free coffee with my Starbucks gold card. You don't need a gold card to get free refills on hot or iced coffees, though. Just register your card, use it in store, and you should be able to get those free refills! As a friendly little tip, get the smallest hot or iced coffee you can, you can pay the least and still get as many refills as you like. If you got a shot of syrup in the initial coffee they will even give that to you for free! (note: this is not the actually Starbucks location, but the one on Monroe does have a drive through!)

3. Black Dog Cafe

I like to think of this place as my Cafe Nervosa (if you never watched Frasier then you won't get this reference). The coffee is served in actual cups! I feel so fancy drinking there, though it is a little more hipster than Frasier would approve of. There isn't much seating at the one on Lake Ella, but the one in Railroad Square has plenty. The coffee is not very cheap and refills will cost you, but boy does it taste good! If you go, try a latte with mocha and toffee nut. It is like heaven in a cup! Just a heads up, WIFI is not available on weekends (at least at the Lake Ella location), so don't go there if your studies require internet connection unless you want to set up a personal hot spot.

4. Cascade Park

If you want to study with a view then look no further than Cascade Park. Beneath the famous Edison restaurant is a quaint little cafe. There are long tables inside for group studies and smaller tables outside for more private study sessions. While I have never personally gotten anything from the cafe what I have seen looks pretty good. If you find yourself studying outside when the sun is down there are fire pits and heaters littered around the exterior of the cafe so that you will always be warm. (The picture below appears to be a design image of what The Edison would look like once built, but the bottom floor on the right is the little cafe, and all the seating outside on the bottom floor is open to anyone unless specified by The Edison.)

5. Dittmer Building

Many of you probably have painful memories of impossible Chem labs and the Chem Help Room when you think of Dittmer. I know it may be tough to get passed those memories, but Dittmer actually has a bunch of rooms in it for students to study in. On the first floor, there is a room right in front of the building that has a vending machine, fridge, and a microwave! While I am not sure if students are allowed to use the fridge and microwave, it doesn't hurt to try!

Studying Tips and Tricks

Studying for finals can seem like an impossible task, but there are ways to make it easier. I find that I do better on my exams when I get a good night sleep beforehand. In my personal experience, studying all night or over-studying can be just as detrimental to your grade as being over-prepared. Whenever I attempt to cram I end up with headaches, dreams plagued by organic chemistry mechanisms, and more confusion on the material. Sometimes you reach a point where studying is no longer beneficial, so it is best to stop or at least take a break before you start to confuse yourself.

I have also found that Quizlets are one of mankind's greatest gifts. It is so much more fun than flipping through note cards. The website has games and tests to help you better learn the material, and I can download the app and have all the note cards for all of my classes in the palm of my hand.

My friends and I have also found that staying in one place to study for too long causes you to become restless and distracted. Therefore we typically rotate between the study places discussed above in order to keep the environment fresh and to keep us focused on our work. In general, we usually stay at a place no longer than three or four hours before moving our nests to new branches.

I hope that my study locations are as enjoyable to you all as they are to me! If you know of any others please provide them in the comments! Good luck with finals week, and please consider my tips! Remember the silver lining at the end of the week: home. It is just one week of hell for almost a month of relaxation. We got this!

Please enjoy these inspirational memes.