If the number of people studying in the common rooms, the new offers at The Hunger Cycle and the to-do lists on so many white-boards aren’t enough to tell you, Finals Week is almost here! The college version of the movie 2012, Finals Week is a challenging time, so here is a survival guide that will carry you through this apocalypse.
1.Caffeine
If you’re one of the sensible ones who has made it through exams without giving into the lure of caffeine, we can only hope for your functionality, sensei. To those for whom there will never be enough mugs for the amount of caffeine to keep them going, get ready. Whether you prefer tea or coffee, get yourself as many packets from the tuck shop as you think you’ll need, and them some more. Keep your fingers crossed that there aren’t long lines for the Dhaba chai, and hope that after finals week is over, you won’t need 5738 cups of coffee or tea to keep you going. (Advice: Please don’t give in and have 5738 cups. Maybe stick to 5700, yeah?) (But to be honest, it’s wise to keep a check on how much caffeine you have. There’s probably a limit to how unhealthy we can be.)
2. A Spot
There is perhaps nothing as important for studying as a spot. Maybe you prefer the silence and comfort of your room. Maybe you like the presence of people around you, and have taken to the common rooms. Maybe the lawn is your choice, with its tiny hills and hidden nooks. Or perhaps the pressure of the library is good for you. If you have figured out what works for you, get your books, laptop, sweaters and will-power (once you find it) and build yourself a home there. If you don’t have a spot, that’s okay too; but if you want to figure out one—try out all the places on campus! If you want some suggestions of where you can start, have a look at this article.
3. Food
Ah, we can’t be grateful enough for the food outlets that are open till 3 am. And even more so for those which deliver it to us! If you miss the meals in the mess because you were trying to get your assignment done within the deadline, the dhaba, The Hunger Cycle and Chit Chaat are always there for you. If you hurry up, you can make it in time for a slice from Chicago Pizza or a snack from Rasnadar too. However, if you are too tired and/or lazy to walk, and food delivery isn’t an option, worry not—vending machines to the rescue! They’re affordable, accessible snacks. As long as your preferred food items are still in stock you should be fine. Unless your go-to is Kurkure or Lays. Well, then you’re done for.
4. People
Don’t work for so long that you barely meet people in the day. One of the beauties of college is that you can have five-minute conversations that can be meaningful, even with people you don’t know. Always make sure that you take the time to talk to others; you could talk about your work, so that you can get a new perspective, or talk about anything but work, so that you get a refreshing change. Having people around you will remind you that you’re not in this alone, and that everyone is in the same boat as you.
5. Music
There’s a kind of music for every kind of mood. For every low you feel, there’s a Fix You, and for every joy, there’s an Uptown Funk. If you’re the sort of person who needs music to study, get to curating an Finals Week playlist! You might even want to go for The Listening Sessions at the Centre for Entrepreneurship this week. If you don’t study with music, it is a good idea to refresh yourself with music at times—whatever song lifts your mood, or at the very least, changes it. Studying can get monotonous, and listening to music can be the break you need.
6. Sleep!! Bathe!!
The exclamation marks are purely for motivation. It’s no secret how unlikely we are to do either in Finals Week (or even in general). In the grand scheme of things, sleeping and bathing might seem unimportant and time-consuming, and somehow we spend the entire week in the same clothes. However, if not for your health—sleeping and bathing are important in bringing you back to life from your zombie-like existence— use these as an opportunity to take a break.
If you’re a person whose naps do not exceed the socially acceptable lengths of naps, take naps! If you’re not—DON’T. You have been warned. We all know how that would end. Sleep for longer hours instead (I’d say 6 but that sounds ridiculous, even to me. Please sleep for at least 4 hours.)
7. A Step Away
No matter how many assignments you have and no matter how close your deadline is, the most important thing to do in the Finals Week is to take a step away. Away from the work, away from the pressure. You might think you can carry on, and you might be right, but too much work will burn you out. Remember, this week is stressful and it is okay to feel low; you should take the time to vent, to cry and to introspect, if that’s what you need to do. Reach out to people you trust if you feel like you’re bottling up your worries. It might be your parents, your siblings, friends, the Centre for Wellbeing, or someone else. Remember, it’s important to let things out.
On the other hand, if you feel like you’re not taking things as seriously as you would like to, if you think you are wasting your time, take a step away too and introspect to figure out what wish to do ahead.
Either way, a moment away is good, and sharing your thoughts and concerns can be helpful.
You can do this! You probably think there’s too much to do and yeah, you’re damn right, but imagine the feeling at the end of this. When you submit your last paper, or write your last exam, and have nothing more to do—can you see it?
Well, I can’t either—there’s too much work in between today and that day for it to be real, but a world like that exists! And we’re going to get there soon.
All we’ve got to do is keep calm and carry on.
All images are curated by Viraj Malani
Edited by Devashree Somani