Finals Week: it’s that time of year when free coffee is served at the Underground, CFA students gloat about being done with their critiques and juries, and the most bumping club is Club Hunt, where desks are filled all day every day.
Finals can be a stressful time for many of us. Here are some tips on reducing your stress during finals so you can survive this crazy week!
Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important things you can do for yourself during Finals Week. Try to sleep at least 7 hours each night. This will allow you to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to ace that calculus exam!
Get Your Morning Fuel
Start your morning off right by eating the most important meal of the day: breakfast. When you start off your day, your bodies need fuel. By eating breakfast you gain the proper nutrients you need to be alert and stay awake while studying taking exams.
Plan ahead
Making lists of what you need to accomplish helps keep you organized. Plus, crossing items off your list as you finish your tasks is a great stress reliever! Once you have your list of what needs to be done, start making a study schedule. With a schedule you will be more able to allot your time effectively, with more time spent studying for your harder courses. Eliminating distractions and coming prepared with extra pencils, pens, books etc. are perfect ways to avoid procrastination while studying.
Relax
It seems crazy to think about relaxing during finals week, but when you take some time for yourself and just BREATHE, you will be able clear your mind and focus on the task at hand. Get up and walk around every hour or so. Have a random dance party with friends or do ten jumping jacks to get the blood flowing. Too much work and not enough time for ourselves can result in memory failure and health problems—which are two things that are not conducive to acing your orgo final. By relaxing you regain your strength and recharge yourself for the next round of exams, group meetings and projects.
Avoid procrastination
My words of advice: Get. Off. The Internet (unless you are reading HerCampus, of course). By procrastinating you are just adding to your stress level. There will be plenty of time to look at your friend’s photos from the Beta Christmas party over Christmas break. Unsure how to force yourself off the net? Self-Control is a great application for your computer that blocks websites of your choice for a certain number of hours to make it harder to go on distracting websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.
Reward Yourself
Once you are done with finals make sure to do something nice for yourself. Whether you buy that cute dress from ModCloth or go out to dinner with friends, having an incentive and something to look forward to helps you to make it through the stress.
Good luck, have fun, and remember: you’ll make it through Finals Week!