It’s that time of the quarter again! Dead Week and Finals Week are almost here. Everyone is looking forward to going home and stuffing our faces with our family’s homemade food, but we just have to get through these last two weeks. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Here are a few tips to help you survive these grueling two weeks that somehow seem to never end, but also seem to go way too fast to get everything done.
STUDY
We know, this sounds like a given. Obviously everyone has to study for finals, but the point is to study better. Put aside a certain amount of time each day to study for a certain class. This time of the quarter can be overwhelming, and sometimes it’s hard to even know where to start. So, make a study schedule and stick to it. You will feel more confident and less stressed if you study and don’t fall behind on the schedule you make for yourself. Set a timer for a short amount of time, like a half hour, and work through it without checking your phone or Instagram or Buzzfeed. When the timer goes off, let yourself check one thing and then set the timer again. Keep doing this until you have studied for as long as you need to that day. If it’s going to be a long study day for you, make sure to take longer breaks to give your brain a break. You’ll study better and be less stressed if you let yourself breathe.
EXERCISE
On one of those study breaks, be sure to take time to get out and be active. Go to the gym, take an exercise class or go for a run, whatever gets you moving. It will help clear and refocus your mind so that you can get back to studying. Even though school is important and we all want to pass those finals, don’t forget about your health.
EAT RIGHT
Along with exercising during Finals and Dead Week, also be sure to eat well. A well-balanced diet will help you feel your best so you can put your energy into acing those exams. It will keep you from getting sick and will also improve your focus. Try making a bunch of meals at once that you can save and reheat throughout the week so you don’t have to take too much time out of studying to prepare your food. You’ll thank yourself later.
JOIN STUDY GROUPS
If you are in a class that is really difficult, find some people in your class to study with. You can bounce ideas off of each other and maybe have something you didn’t understand explained in a new way. Also, sometimes it helps to explain something to someone else; it means that you really have to know what you are talking about.
GO TO OFFICE HOURS
That’s what our professors are here for. If you need a little extra help with something, go get help. They will be glad you came in and you will walk away feeling more confident about your test. Just don’t wait until the last second to go though and ask for an explanation for everything you’ve gone over in class. Hopefully you’ve been going to office hours all quarter if you need that much help!
PUT TOGETHER A SURVIVAL KIT FOR THE TWO WEEKS
– Index cards; one of our favorite ways to study is making flash cards
– Pre-made meals, as mentioned above
– Lots of snacks
– Scantrons and blue books if you’ll need them; don’t be that person that shows up without one
– Make yourself a good study playlist for some background noise
– Rent a movie to relax and watch with a friend on a study break
Bubble bath for the night after you take your last final; Treat yoself!
Good luck, collegiettes. Go get those As!