The sun is shining, birds are chirping, your friends are waiting for you on the Green… and your finals are waiting for you too. End of the spring semester can be a challenging time to muster up motivation, especially when the weather is tempting you to toss your homework aside for a relaxing afternoon outside. It can be really easy to give in, but why give up on all the hard work you’ve done this whole semester when you’re so close to being done? Here are some of our top ways to get ahead of the finals game, so you don’t find yourself cramming last minute and completely giving up on your social life.
1. Scheduling: You shouldn’t have to feel like you have to choose between your mental health/social life, and your grades. Figure out which dates your finals fall on, and plan accordingly by making a schedule to help you balance studying with down time.
2. Office hours: If you’re unsure of your grade in one of your classes, or you’re just looking for some advice from the prof on how to study, visit them during their office hours. This is the perfect opportunity to ask for extra credit if you’re needing something to boost your grade, and they might just give you some hints as to what might be on the final exam.
3. Sleep: If you’ve been staying up into the wee hours, it might be best to start normalizing your sleep cycle now before the side effects really get to you during finals. Get into a rhythm now so you can be your healthiest, and best self when it’s time to hunker down and study, study, study.
4. Snacks: Brain food is no joke. Make sure you’re not only eating enough, but that you’re getting proper nutrients so your brain can function to its highest capacity. Grab some $3 peanut butter from Big Y, snag a few apples from the caf, and voilà! You have the perfect go-to study snack that will last through your study sessions.
5. Prepare: Math final? Grab some extra batteries from CVS. 9AM test? Set alarms the day before in case you stay up late studying and fall asleep at your desk. Anxious? Take a deep breath and check out some of Clark Yoga’s classes to decompress. Completely lost? Ask for help from the TA or one of your peers! Starting to study 2 or 3 weeks in advance might seem a bit excessive, but the less you have to study every day, the easier it will be to stay focused.