The time has come; a dreaded time for everyone: finals. This is the season of late night studying, preparing for days or weeks, lots of coffee, and plenty of mental breakdowns.
I am here to guide you through all the havoc that will ensue. Here is your finals survival guide; it will include some tips on how to get through the finals, and some tips on to relax, destress, and survive this week.
Look at your final schedule a couple of weeks before finals.
I know it’s tedious and might not help those on the quarter system right now, but this is an excellent way to start preparing for finals. This allows you to figure out which days and what hours your finals on. So, you can set up a study schedule that will allow you prepare for finals, and not have to worry about missing them.
Set up a study schedule.
I know this was just mentioned in the prior point, but this is so important, because a little extra studying can make a world of a difference. For the classes that are your hardest subject, I would recommend starting a week in advance, that way if you have any questions, there is still time to ask them. This also allows the studier to allocate the right amount of time to studying.
Eat.
Always make sure to carry snacks around with you. Your brain is working hard during finals, whether it is from studying, cramming, doing work, or taking the final, you need to eat to keep up with the amount of energy your brain is using. Carrying around small snack bags filled with pretzels, or other prepackaged snacks is a great way to stay fueled and ready to go.
Remember to de-stress.
Cut out some of your time, and make your way to the Anderson Academic Commons where there are crafts and puppies waiting for you. This is a great way to destress, and it is really fun as well.
Can’t go to the stress relieving rooms DU has set up or you’re allergic to animals? Make your own! Find the things that really calm you down, and take fifteen minutes every once in awhile in between studying and working to enjoy them. Some of my personal favorite ways to relax are, coloring, taking a hot bath, reading a chapter or two of a book, or using face masks.
Water.
This one goes along with the previous point, but drink a lot of water! You will be more tired if you are not hydrated, so don’t let yourself get sleepy. Carry around a water bottle and make sure to actively drink water all day.
Work with friends.
This will make time go by faster in perspective, and makes it easier to retain the information. Not to mention it will make the work more bearable.
Don’t overwork yourself.
Even with everything stressful going on make sure that you have plenty of time for you. Your physical and mental health are more important than any grade, always remember that. Taking time to sleep, eat, and make sure that you are doing okay will help you do so much better during any test you’re taking.
Treat yourself.
I mostly avoid this phrase, due to the fact that my roommate’s boyfriend takes it way too seriously, but it still remains something you should do every once in a while. If you’ve been really craving chipotle or wanting jelly, treat yourself. It will definitely help you relax, and make doing all the hard stuff that much easier.
Clean.
Make your bed, or do the little cleaning things that always bog you down. This may seem stupid, but this will help motivate you, and make you feel accomplished. If you finish something that you usually don’t do, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and will start your day out right. This will make it easier to do all the work that you don’t want to do.
Give yourself something to look forward to.
Motivating yourself for something that you want to do will help you get through everything, while allowing you to de-stress afterwards. Whether this is a Spring Break vacation, spending time with friends, or being able to watch that movie that you’ve been wanting to. This will make it that much easier to relax while getting everything done.