Fortunately and unfortunately, it is getting extremely close to the wrap-up of the fall 2011 semester; the final two weeks are upon us. You know what this means: finals are here once again. This means more sleepless nights and an impossible amount of studying to be done. Here are a few tips for surviving finals week and ending the semester on a good note.
1. SLEEP
Sleep is definitely the most important thing to remember during finals week. Making an effort to get a solid 8 hours per night will do you some justice.
2. Eating and drinking right
Stay away from anything that damages your ability to memorize things such as carbs, alcohol, and especially coffee (I know that seems scary, but bear with me here). A healthy body and mind is vital during finals week. You have winter break to make up for lost caffeine.
3. Taking breaks
Don’t cram. Study for no more than an hour at a time. Then take a short break and go back to the material.
Meanwhile don’t forget to eat a little something.
4. Find a good place to study
Find yourself a nice, quiet place to study that has as few distractions possible. Keep in mind that studying
in a well lit place helps keep you awake and alert. Avoid staying in your dorm room or apartment area,
because that never works. The library or lounges are your best options.
5. Use everything that is available to you
There are so many different resources available to students, so use it all to the best of your
ability. Find some classmates and create a study group. Make some flashcards. Take practice
tests. There are so many helpful little things that you can do to help you get that A.
6. Silence (or vibrate) your cell phone!
I know that in today’s world, it’s hard to get anyone to actually turn off their phone for any period of time. Instead just silence or put your phone on vibrate to help avoid distraction. If you really want to get the most out of your study session, stay away from your phone for a couple of hours.
7. Keep calm
Don’t go crazy, and remember to breathe. Everything will be okay at the end of these seemingly never ending two weeks. We’re in college; it’s suppose to be stressful. Try your best to relax and chances are you’ll retain more information while studying and perform better on your papers and exams.
Like I said before, just follow these tips for good study habits and you’ll probably surprise yourself when you see your final grades.