The final days of school are so close you can almost taste the freedom! But before we can enjoy those carefree, warm summer nights spent catching up with our hometown friends, we must survive the dreaded week of FINALS. Some of you, like myself as I sit in the library writing this, may already be in the midst of your finals, while others anxiously await their arrival. Whatever your finals situation may be, preparation is the key to achieving the results you want and having a successful finals week. We must learn to embrace finals week because it foreshadows the beginning of summer!
Finals week entails what seems like an endless amount of studying and work for all of your classes in one single week. This is where a plan of action is helpful in order to keep all of your assignments and exams straight. I find it beneficial to make a physical list either on paper, a computer, or a phone of each task I have to finish by a due date. Once I tackle one of “to do’s” I check it off my list so I can make a mental note that I have one less thing to do. This not only diminishes my stress, but also leaves me with an extremely rewarding feeling that motivates me to complete the rest of my list. This system prioritizes your assignments, organizing your week accordingly.
Lack of productivity is something we all can admit we are guilty of. With all the distractions of social media on phones, computers, etc. it is easy to find yourself spending less time studying and more time stalking your ex-boyfriend on Facebook. Sometimes I even find myself making an excuse to clean my room in the middle of the night than to write my five page research paper due the next day. Before finals week make a point to delete all of your social media apps that could potentially be a distraction from your studies and turn off your alerts and push notifications to eliminate any temptation. If you are one who just cannot live without their social media for a week, set aside a 20 minute time limit for social media where you are able to catch up on your Instagram newsfeed and tweet about the painful six hours you just spent in the library.
The last piece advice I have for enduring finals week is to plan each day ahead the night before. When you wake up with a plan of what you need to accomplish that day you will be much more productive than going into your day blindly attempting to take on too much without prior prepping. According to The Underground Success, to increase your productivity they advise to set your “Super Six” the previous day. This means that every night before you go to bed set your top 6 priorities you want to carry out. This will start your day with immediate momentum and is proven to give an extra 30 minutes to an hour of productivity a day. You will sleep much better going to bed with peace of mind knowing what your exact plan of action is for the next day.
I wish you immense success as you enter finals week with confidence and composure. Set your plan of action, stay focused, and work towards your goal. With that being said, get on over to the library and let the studying commence!