It’s that time of year again as the school year draws to a close. We are cramming everything into a week and a half. From attending end-of-the-year parties, to studying endless notes for cumulative exams, to burying heads onto piles of books for half-finished papers, and packing for the ride home.
While it can be an overwhelming time for many of us, don’t start to panic yet. As the multitasking creatures we have become, I believe in us. Of course the priority is studying for finals and writing papers, but if you plan ahead you can take a few breaks from studying and enjoy the last week on campus. The trick though, it to plan productive study breaks! Our brain gets all worked up and fried from all that studying and reviewing, so why not let it rest and think of other things. With a brain re-energized, studying becomes so much more efficient. Here are some tips to taking productive study breaks, and making the most of finals week.
Take a Walk, a Jog or a Trip to FitRec
Exercise. From walking along the Esplanade, jogging from one end of Comm. Ave. to the other, to working out in FitRec, getting exercise is one of the most productive study breaks you can take. Removing yourself from studying by working out allows your brain process all the information you have been taking in. Exercise is also a big stress reliever. Stress is good because it motivates you to doing your work, but if there’s too much of it then it is quite inefficient. So relieve it as you can. Another major upside to this break is you get the exercise you want for that summer beach body.
Eat Out with Friends
They’re going through what you’re experiencing, so have a big study break together. Again, anything that steps you back from all that work is helpful for the brain to refresh itself. Food and company are great avenues to do that. Go out to a restaurant, or even to the dining hall. Enjoy the food and enjoy the conversations with your friends. You’re probably not going to see them for the next three months, so make the best out of it and hang out.
Review Your Notes
You might ask: “Well this is really not a break because we’re doing work.” Here’s the thing, the brain gets fried up with all the material of one subject and the thing it wants to do right then and there is to process other matters. So this is a good idea to take a break from studying one subject and reviewing your notes from another course. Read a summary of the chapters from your textbook, or go over note cards you’ve prepared. Reviewing little by little helps you retain material and when you finally study for the class, you’ll remember and it’ll become easier.
Take a Power Nap
Hear me out. This might not seem productive at first, but it is. As I said, if you have been studying for hours, there comes a point in time that your brain can’t process any more information. Studying then can be useless. The best way to re-energize the brain and your entire self is sleep, which you will most likely severely lack come finals week. That’s why naps are helpful. Take a nap after at least 5 hours of working. Don’t forget to set an alarm, and get up when it goes off! Resist that temptation to stay in your bed because then the break becomes unproductive.
Surfing through the Internet
Here’s the thing, this might sound unproductive, but it works, just trust me. For a break, go online and watch one episode of your TV Show, nothing more. Or go on YouTube and let yourself watch a couple of videos, and when I mean a couple of videos I do not mean for hours on end, but at most an hour. Again, this is a good stress reliever and something that can cheer you up and take your mind off of studying for a little while. Don’t overdo it though, discipline yourself and go right back to working.
Happy Studying and Good Luck with Finals!