The most bittersweet part of the year has arrived. Summer is around the corner; it’s so close it’s practically at our fingertips. The scent of sunscreen and coconut tanning oil in the air. The birds chirping. Warm weather. Hitting the pool, late summer nights with friends, barbeques, sunshine and saltwater. Let’s not forget you’ll have cash in your hand from your summer job. It’s all within reach.
But there is one thing in the way of that sweet, summer bliss.
The most dreaded word of the school year.
Finals. The bitter to the sweet.
It’s the last hurdle of the school year and unfortunately the hardest. Why? Because you need to learn all the things you were supposed to earlier in the semester. Remember that time you were going to read chapter four of your least favorite textbook but the entire world was going out that night, and the entire world insisted you come too?
Well, now we’re here with so little time and so much to do.
Which brings us to the finals acronym, F.I.N.A.L.S.
____, I Never Actually Learned this ____.
(Fill in the blanks.)
I’m sorry to say, it must be done so you can peacefully enjoy your break. That’s why I’m bringing you some tips to try to get you through it as painlessly as possible.
Let’s get to it:
1. START NOW!
Prepping now will save you from the last minute cram sessions where you find yourself at 3 AM crying and eating your feelings in vending machine candy between math problems.
2. PLAN IT OUT
Rarely do we go into finals planning on failing or staying up the entire night before our test. Usually we pleasantly lie to ourselves that we can do it later in the week so that next episode of Modern Family is A-OK.
Make sure to get a calendar if you don’t already have one and write out the time and dates of all your finals. Plan accordingly.
3. Prioritize.
Time is of the essence. Be Smart! Really hard classes? Start studying for those earlier. If you have easier tests towards the end of exam week, focus on those after your harder ones, because the most difficult exams need to come first. The more time you have to absorb that material the better.
4. Don’t overwhelm yourself!
Each day leading up to your finals, assign yourself study sessions for one specific class. This way you can focus on one class per day instead of five all at once. You’ll memorize the material better and won’t be staring at the pile of books on your desk like it’s Mount Everest and you need to climb it by tomorrow.
Focus on each class by itself on a given day to both prioritize and not overwhelm yourself. You won’t feel like you need to master all of your classes in one sitting. When you do that, it’s easier to get overwhelmed and give up. Once those exams are complete you have the rest of your time to study for easier exams.
5. COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE.
No explanation necessary. Starbucks, Dunkin, your keurig, it doesn’t matter. Just stock up on the nectar of the Gods to keep yourself awake and studying like a champ.
If you’re like me and the idea of reading a dry textbook for hours on end is comparable to torture, use the 25 Minute Method, or what I like to call, the A.D.D. method. This will keep your attention span and mind fresh while studying. Start by setting an alarm for 25 minutes. For those 25 minutes read and take all the notes you can while still making sure to understand the material. When that alarm goes off take 2-5 minutes maximum for a quick mental break. Re-fill your water bottle, get a new cup of coffee, grab a snack, take a quick walk, clean off your desk, do a few yoga poses, reply to a text message, or anything that is not mentally strenuous. Depending on how close you are to your exam you could just sit there with a paper bag over your mouth to keep from hyperventilating. But once those several minutes are up set another alarm for 25 minutes and get back to work.
You have a moment to clear your head and refocus yourself. You complete the 25 minutes of solid work, refresh, than complete another solid 25 minutes, refresh, and then repeat until you are finished for the day.
Studying can be a lot more manageable when you break it up into smaller tasks and complete them in allotted time spans rather than conquering the beast of a course all at one time.
7. LIMIT DISTRACTIONS!
You know what I’m talking about. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, email, texting, Netflix. Technology is a tool and a distraction all in one. But mostly a distraction. Think of how much time you would save if you just made yourself write that paper instead of twatching, or reblogging artsy tumblr posts every five minutes.
If you have a Mac get the “Self-Control” App! This way your internet will not LET you access those sites for a certain amount of time! No pinning to your food or future wedding board. You have work to do.
PC users….if you can live without the internet for studying, disconnect it to minimize temptation. Otherwise STAY STRONG!
And most importantly TURN OFF YOUR PHONE! We all seem to be less flaky texters when we’re procrastinating so make sure to shut it off. Out of sight, out of mind. If you use said A.D.D. method, use one of your 5 minute breaks to reply to some texts and then get back to work!
8. Give yourself something to look forward to.
After you complete mini goals, like writing half of a paper, reading a chapter, or finishing five problems, reward yourself. You have something to look forward to instantly which can keep you going longer. Maybe treat yourself to your favorite snack aka a glass of wine.
And to get you through to the home stretch of May 20th when finals are over give yourself something bigger to look forward to and keep in mind through all your hard work. Buy yourself that shirt you’ve been wanting from Forever 21, see a movie, go to dinner with friends, or maybe an entire bottle of wine. Anything to reward yourself for getting through F.I.N.A.L.S!
Good luck to you all. May the grade curve be ever in your favor. Get those A’s!