April is a time for new beginnings, the start of the “It Girl” summer mindset, but for college students, April signifies finals season (this is when you start imagining a dark and stormy night with a clap of thunder). It is a time that requires you to recall the molecule structure of sugar, prepare to write your final English paper, and to become, for most students, burnt out.
Despite being an English major now, I was once a Biomedical Science major (yikes) and an AP scholar, so I have learned a thing or two about burnout and how to study effectively. There is so much more to it than just looking over notes and recalling, let’s be honest, useless information. Consider this your personal guide and to-do list to avoid burn out this finals season, because it can feel inevitable.
1: Look Good, Feel Good, Study Good
Okay, one thing you should always know about me is that my nails are ALWAYS done. Partially because I think it is cute, but also because they put me into a good mood. It feels so superficial to say, but I am so much more likely to study efficiently when my nails are done versus when they are not.
This is not just applicable to nails. Put on a full face of makeup, or put on a cute outfit, or do your hair all fancy (or a combination of everything); whatever makes your heart happy. Not to mention, are you more likely to fall asleep in the library in a comfort set (this is not a dis, trust I live in these) versus a skirt and a full beat?
This is a game changer, I promise. I mean look good, feel good, do good is a saying for a reason.
2. Study with Snacks
This step is so important! Always remember that food is fuel, especially for your brain. You are so much more likely to focus and remember everything you studied when your stomach is happy. I personally love a little protein bar and coffee combo, but my dear friend studies while eating approximately 3,000 granola bars. All I am trying to say is grab that bagel girl.
If you want to study in a Pinterest way, make a snack box! Put some trial mix in there, yogurt covered raisins, goldfish, strawberries, whatever! This goes hard during a late-night study session or when studying with friends.
3. Take Breaks
Raise your hand if you have gotten distracted whilst studying before. Exactly, almost everyone does. The best thing you can do when you feel your mind is wandering is to get up and take a break. This can range from a 3-minute walk around the library (I CIRCLE Silverman) to packing up and calling it a night.
Do you think you are going to remember everything you are trying to study if you are thinking about Tom and Zendaya’s wedding? The answer is probably not. What I am trying to get at here is it is okay if you do not have an aesthetic 12-hour study sesh. The girl on TikTok most likely is NOT studying for 12 hours straight, so neither should you.
4. Romanticize Studying
Maybe this is just me because I wanted to be Rory Gilmore in high school so bad, but romanticizing studying is the true motivator. Omg, look at that stunning girl in the perfect 2022 downtown girl outfit, noise cancelling headphones, surrounded by the most perfect looking notes. Oh, and she is listening to a Rory Gilmore playlist (this is what I will think when I see you in your romanticized lock in).
You may be asking, how do I romanticize studying? My quickest and most effective answer will always be to act like someone is about to take a picture of you for Pinterest CONSTANTLY. This can play into the way you structure notes, the playlist you listen to, or even your coffee order. If you always imagine someone is about to post you on Pinterest, you will be romanticizing.
As a quick little contribution for your journey, here is my favorite study playlist. You will feel like you are attending Chilton and are dating Jess (Dean stans, you are in enemy territory).
5. Sleep!
If you take only one piece of advice let it be this one. Trust me when I say that that all-nighter you are planning is going to hurt you more than help you. First of all, do not cram, start studying 2 weeks before your exam. Second, do you think your brain is going to work to the fullest potential when you have been awake for 24+ hours? Unless you are Edward Cullen who does not need sleep, the answer is no. Get that sleep!
The human body not only depends on sleep in order to recharge its battery, but it also messes with your focus if you deprive yourself of it (comparable to having a blood – alcohol content of 0.1% which exceeds the legal driving limit). You probably are not going to take an exam in that situation, so why would you take an exam whilst sleep deprived? Personally, I like to get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before an exam.
After this, I hope you look at April in a new light. It is not a time for burning out. This is the time to soak in the last few weeks of the semester before summer. Why should one measly exam put a pin in the joy that April exudes?