Finals Week Survival Kit: Essentials for Hell Week

PSA: As much as we all would love to crawl under the covers of our cozy beds and forget that finals week exists, I am here to alert you that the dreaded time will be upon us in just a few short weeks. In the two finals weeks that I’ve suffered through here at Duke, I feel well prepared to advise you all on how to cope during this time (here’s to you, freshmen). In other words, do the complete opposite of everything I did! But really, finals week is debatably the most stressful time of your college career—why make it even worse by eating unhealthily, letting yourself go, etc.? Here are some items I make sure I have with me 24/7 in a grab bag during the week:

• A protein bar. I find that I fail to ensure that I’m getting the proper amount and balance of nutrients during finals, especially as a vegetarian. Any type of nutrient bar will help with this. It’s also an easy thing to grab and take with you to the library! The vending machines in Perkins and Lilly have nutrient bars in them as well.

• Tinted moisturizer, or just moisturizer in general! This is especially necessary at this time of the year, when Durham can be a very cold place (and I thought we were in the South?). Tinted moisturizer can also fool your friends and professors into thinking you got a good amount of sleep the night before! It’s super easy too—just throw some on and let it work its wonders.

• Cream eye shadow. For those of you who can’t bear going without some sort of eye makeup but won’t have the time to do the full routine, cream eye shadow is a must. Not only is it probably the easiest makeup product to apply, but also crease-proof and long-lasting. Great for those all-nighters in Perkins, and guaranteed to brighten your eyes in the morning!

• Makeup remover wipes. The last thing you’re going to have time for during finals week is washing your face thoroughly/using toner (I hate to admit it, but it’s the truth). Makeup wipes are super efficient and useful for those long hours in the library.

• External hard Drive/flash drive. The reason for this should be fairly obvious—as an intelligent Duke student, you should definitely carry one of these during finals week just in case your computer crashes/shuts down and your files are lost. This may sound unrealistic, but I do know people who have experienced this! Finals week is rough enough—you definitely don’t want to lose your work and notes on top of the endless studying that you already have to deal with.

• A reusable water bottle. With all of the caffeine that you’ll surely be inhaling, water is a must! Be sure to keep hydrated by refilling your water bottle constantly. You should be drinking about 8-10 glasses of water a day, so keeping a water bottle handy can ensure that you reach this. A jolt of cold water every now and then can help keep you awake, too!

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