Finals week is one of the roughest weeks of the school year. We all want to go home for break but instead must endure papers and tests that make us want to slam our heads against a book 20 times. During this period, we do not take care of ourselves as well as we should. We forget about our mental and physical needs with everything we have to do. Below I have created a list (because I love lists) of things to remember to keep up even during this hectic time.
1. Drink Water
This is one I need to work on, but it is important. As staff writer Kaylen always says, “hydrate or die-drate.” Water helps the brain work better. It gives you energy. It helps your body to keep doing what it’s doing. You cannot work at your best if you forget to drink water. Set a goal for yourself. For example, I set up a time while studying and tell myself to drink a bottle of water by the time an hour goes by. Then I have had at least a bottle.
2. Eat food
Many people in college simply forget to eat. Eating is not only food for your body, but for your mind. Try setting 3 timers every day, so when they go off you will remember to get food. Your work will still be there for you when you get back. College students love to think they can live off of chips and iced coffee, but our bodies need so much more in order to function properly. Also, I cannot stress enough for you to eat the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Almost everyone I talk to says they skip breakfast. Even a piece of toast and some orange juice will suffice. Breakfast helps to wake up the brain and will help you have more energy throughout the day.
3. Get sleep
I realize students cannot get as much sleep as they need. I have spent many nights up until 2 A.M., having to wake up at 7 the next day. This is especially around finals time. If I did not do stay up this late, I could not get my work done in a timely fashion. However, this can be exhausting and waste energy pretty quickly. Give yourselves a night to go to bed early every few days, or more if you need. Everyone needs different hours of sleep in order to function. It is important not to ignore when you are feeling really tired.
4. Take a break
Being a college student I realize it is also hard to just “take a break.” We have so much work to do, an overload of it being during finals week. I have found myself studying for hours, refusing to rest because there is much more to be done. However, I find after a short while I cannot concentrate on what I’m working on. It is pointless. When I take even a 20-minute break and stop at The Grind, our college cafe, break out my sketch pad and draw, or watch YouTube videos of old Vines, I find it helps my concentration. Don’t burn yourselves out. Take the break!
5. Be kind to yourself
It is easy to be hard on yourself, especially during finals week. It is easy to tell yourself you are not doing enough, accomplishing enough, or simply are not enough. Yet, you ARE enough. Write this on little post-it notes and stick them everywhere. Say it in the mirror to yourself every day. Write it on your hand so you can look down and see it. You are doing enough, and you ARE enough.
Please do not forget to take care of yourselves during finals week. Your health is most important. Good luck to you all! You’ve got this!