While I’ve established that the holidays are my favorite part of the year, there is something that never fails to dampen my holiday cheer. You guessed it, finals. Finals are the most stressful time of year for many reasons. Today I want to give my best advice on surviving finals week.
Sleep
The first and most important thing that many students lack is sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep your brain will not retain the information you need it to. As stressful as finals are you must give your body enough time to rejuvenate and prepare for all the studying to be done. With that being said, I’m not saying to nap three times a day either. Be effective during the daytime so you can get enough sleep at night.
Take short breaks
This may sound silly but the amount of studying we do as students is extreme. We are human and we can only focus effectively for so long. I recommend setting a timer on your phone. Study for 45 minutes straight, then take 15 and do something relaxing on the mind. I sometimes will take a break and watch an episode of friends or a silly YouTube video just to relax the brain a bit. I find this helps because afterwards I’m ready to get back on track and keep studying. Without breaks I just become miserable and the readings and studying I do just will not stick.
Use different study methods
Looking at the same material over and over again can become so redundant that it’s ineffective. I recommend trying different study methods. When I study I spend time alone, in partners, and in small groups. Getting someone else’s point of view is really helpful. You could have gone the entire semester without understanding something while someone else may have a new, easier way of explaining it. I find benefits in each method of studying and try my best to use all of them.
Study in an environment without distractions
This is difficult for a lot of people. Studying in the comfort of your own room, or bed can be really appealing however is not the best way to study. Studying in your bed can actually mess with your sleeping pattern. I prefer to study in the library when I really need to get things done. Another suggestion is to study in a classroom. If you have access, studying in a classroom can really help you focus because your in a setting where you are used to being ready to learn. The picture above is a look at my go-to comfy spot in the library.
E-mail your professor if you’re confused on a topic
Many students are under the impression that once classes end you are on your own. I find that all of my professors are happy to help via e-mail or even will set up a meeting during finals week to help me understand a topic. I attend a fairly small university so this is pretty normal for me. Moral of the story is don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most of the time professors will be more than willing to help you out. Just don’t e-mail them at 3am the day of the final; then you’re on your own.
Prioritize/Manage your time…well
Finals week as stressful as it is, has a lot of free time. This can be so easy to get lost in. Just because you don’t have finals until Wednesday, does not mean you should binge watch Netflix all day Monday and Tuesday. Spread out your studying evenly over the days that you can. This will make everything a lot easier on your end!
These are my tips for making it through finals. Good luck to everyone and don’t forget to breathe!
xo Rickie