If other schools were to post a “Finals Week Survival Guide” they may post it a comfortable two weeks before finals start, possibly during this mythical thing called a “Reading Week.” (Yes, other schools get entire weeks to study before they have to take finals).
Here at Drexel, we go hard 24/7/365. What is a “syllabus week?” Midterms? You mean “exams weeks 3-9,” right?
We learn fast at Drexel, and if you don’t keep up you will fall behind. This means finals week feels like it snuck in the door behind you, waited until you were fast asleep, and then jumped out of your closet, pumped the study jams, and grabbed you an espresso.
In other words, we need a weird, special kind of study guide. Check out some off-beat tips below to fit our (wonderful) off-beat campus.
Get Dressed Up
Just trust on this one. You may think getting all snuggled up in your best sweats for a day-long study sesh is the only way to go. Being comfy-cozy means you don’t have to worry about how you feel or look all day and you’ll concentrate on the studying, right? Wrong.
Let’s be honest, everyone. Dressing lazy makes you feel lazy. (Plus we all know complaining we’re “uncomfortable” is just another way to procrastinate).The way you dress has a huge impact on your mindset for the day. You know wearing your power suit gets you in the game for that A-Round interview. Apply that to your study outfit. Prep for the day like you’re going to make your textbooks cower in fear of your awesomeness, and they will.
Buy Your Textbooks Some Perfume
Walking into your parents’ house for winter break, with something familiar cooking in the oven, immediately recalls your favorite memories of the holidays. That sweatshirt you have from your ex? We won’t tell, but we know it smells like him/your relationship. Smell has a powerful impact on our memories.
This finals week, bring out a strange, unique scent to fill your space while you study. Whether it’s something random like Play-Doh to roll around or a special scent you bought for the occasion, make sure it’s something you can have with you come test time. Spray yourself down pre-test or put it in your pocket and the scent will recall the hours you spent with it.
Shake It Up
This tip is literally all about keeping your attention on your materials. Sitting in the same spot all day throughout finals week looking at the same five books sounds like torture, and it doesn’t help your concentration. While you’re studying, get up every 20 minutes or so to jump around, play a fun song, or just stretch.
Try this for the long-term as well. As much as you may love your secret spot in the corner of Club Hags every finals week or chillin’ in your favorite apartment chair, changing it up at least once a day helps you stay fresh and engaged. Variety is the spice of life, y’all!
Hit On Guys
Reward systems work wonders on your study mentality. It may sound like you’re bribing yourself (because you totally are) but try dividing your studying up into chunks. After each chunk, reward yourself with a treat, like hitting on that cutie across the library. Or staring at pictures of Ryan Gosling.
The best part about this system is that if you use your relaxation and break time for something awesome and fulfilling, you won’t be tempted to stray from your books as often. Try it, we dare you. (And definitely get that cutie’s number, you fierce thang).
Get Hooked To Your Phone
Studying? “There’s an app for that.” No, really, there is an app for pretty much everything under the sun these days. Take some time to figure out what helps you work best and download apps that help you do you. The following apps have proven super helpful to your peers:
- Quizlet – Love flashcards, hate making them? Type out flashcards on your laptop with a Quizlet username and organize them by subject, by section, or by class – and share them with others! Then sign in to the app on your phone and suddenly you have easy, portable digital flashcards.
- Exam Countdown – Start one of these Week 1. Store the dates of your exams as soon as the schedule comes out and they will be counted down for you, so you can see exactly how long you have to go. You can even add a to-do list to each exam. Seeing the days counting down will literally scare you into studying.
- StudyTimer – This app creates a study timer for you, either by your own study pattern or using the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of break). It even has a 5-minute-extension feature for those extra spurts of work. Consider your time management problems solved.
- Self Control, Freedom, Cold Turkey – Your computer probably needs some app love, too. Try any of these apps for your PC or Mac and the service will cut you off from either the internet entirely or your favorite sites for a prescribed amount of time. Tricksters, beware; these apps mean business and will not let you procrastinate.
Listen To Your Parents
This may come as a shock to you, but your parents are always right. They just are, trust us. Therefore, you should listen to them when they say any of the following things: “You need to eat better, sweetie!” “You should really be getting more sleep” or “You seem stressed, honey. You should relax.”
We’ve all heard these phrases many, many times, but do you actually listen? Well, your exam grades can attest to that. Eating a balanced diet during finals week is the key to keeping your brain in tip-top shape and feeling well rested. Before you ask, no, Taco Bell does not count. Not even as food.
When it is 2am the night before your 8am final and you think staying up an extra hour to study will help, read this post. It. Will. Not. Chances are, no matter how much (or little, as the case may be) you studied, staying up an extra hour or two will not help. Getting a few extra hours of sleep is better for your final exam because you’ll be in peak condition.
In the finals week game, it is most important to stay relaxed. Stressing out can damage your studying as much as any other distraction, and it isn’t healthy. A mentally healthy student will always do better than a crazed, hare-brained, ball of frustration. When you see that girl walk into the exam ten minutes late because she overslept from studying all night, be happy you aren’t her.