This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mich chapter.
Finals are the worst. Everyone hates them. A week and a half of hell where your academic futures can be solidified or fall apart, where sleep is a rarity, where the only wardrobe that you care about is the mountain of sweatpants you’ve saved for this week, and where your main food groups go from protein, fruits and veggies to carbs, ice cream, and feta bread. As a senior, I’ve dealt with various different types of finals schedules, and I’m convinced they all suck. Here are some of the things I’ve done to de-stress from finals:
1. Exercise
Nothing clears my head during studying as well as going for a run or a swim. It takes my mind off of what’s going on and allows me to stay sharp and focus once I get back to work.
2. Studying groups
We all think that we are going to fail, so what better way to destress than to mutually suffer with friends? Some of my best work has come from studying with other people and finding out flaws in what I know. Plus the amount of time you spend screwing around means more time to not do work and to not think about the impending doom that comes with finals.
3. Yoga
Yoga is great because it literally functions to calm you down. It allows you to center yourself and to collect whatever piece of yourself you have together.
4. Dress up with friends for dinner
For those of us who are seniors, we might not have the most intensive finals schedule out there. For everyone else, taking a night to shed those sweatpants, get dressed up, and go get a nice dinner might be just what the doctor ordered. It will make you feel fancy, you’ll eat food that isn’t PB&J, and for an hour, you won’t be thinking about the various types of molecular trafficking.
5. Movie night
Anyone who knows me knows that sometimes I watch a movie while studying. While this may not be the most approved method of studying, it can help to relax and take a bit of the tension away.
6. Go to a concert or show
Since it’s the end of the year, many various dance, a capella, and theater groups have their finals shows. It’s a great change of pace, and it’s a great opportunity to see some of the amazing talent that is on our campus.
7. Attend a bar crawl
As a senior, one of the final things we look forward to might be spending some time with our friends at the bars as we make one final pass at undergrad night life. So, if you’re fortunate enough to be 21, get some of your closest friends together and tear up the town.
Whatever you need to do to get through finals week is up to you. It’s the one week where you should be able to tell your parents that they can talk to you in a week and it’s fine. The one week where you need to resist the temptation to go outside and study. So buckle up, buy all the junk food you think you need, and crush those finals.
Photos courtesy of wp.nootheme.com, www.redhillnc.com, and czechusout.biz.