As the most important time of the semester approaches, students are already stressing out about finals. Yes, finals are indeed stressful and no matter what, we will worry about how to study and how important they are. However, the more we stress, the worse we will do on our final exams. Here are some tips to help you relax during this stressful time in order for you to perform to the best of your ability on finals.
1. Start Early
The worst possible thing you can do is procrastinate studying. The earlier you start, the less stressed you are going to be. Make a plan – figure out how exactly you want to study for each exam you are taking. Next, figure out how you are going to study for each final every day up until the exam. The more preparation you do in advance, the less nervous and worried you will be the night before.
2. Take a Step Back
Studying hard for finals does not mean you have to be locked in your room or the library for 8 hours every day. Take breaks! It is beneficial for you every once in a while to walk away from your computer or textbook to clear your mind. When you clear your head from time to time, you are able to focus better. Go for a short walk or eat a healthy study snack. After you take a quick break, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to conquer more studying with a clear mind.
3. Exercise
The best form of stress relief is physical activity. If you are getting frustrated with the material you are studying or just irritated in general, the best thing you can do is to go work out. Go for a run, take a short walk, lift some weights – any form of physical activity will help you relieve your stress. Plus, it’ll help you sleep better at night, which is also very important during finals time!
4. Breathe!
Whether you believe it or not, everything really will be okay. Yes, finals and grades are important. However, this is not the end of the world. You cannot get yourself too worked up otherwise you will do worse. Breathe deeply during your study breaks or whenever you need to recollect yourself. Deep breathing helps reduce stress and calm your nerves. Simply close your eyes, relax your body, and just breathe.
5. SLEEP
Pulling all-nighters every single day leading up to finals will not benefit you. Arriving well rested to your exam will help you more than you realize. You need rest in order for your mind to comprehend what you have studied and for your brain to be able to answer complex questions. You will do better getting a good nights sleep than trying to just stay awake during your exam.
6. Take some time to laugh!
The weeks leading up to finals can be a very serious and stressful time. Therefore, it is necessary for you to take some time to just laugh and have fun! Tell jokes or funny stories with your friends and watch a funny YouTube video or movie during the week. It will help you to not take everything so seriously and to just relax. Just don’t get too sidetracked!
Whether you believe it or not, you really will make it through this stressful time. If you take the right approach, finals can be a lot easier than simply stressing yourself out to a point of no return. Eat healthy, exercise, rest, and study study study! With these tips, you will be sure to ace all of your exams.