1. Start. Packing. Early.
Finals week is the last week of the semester, so chances are that you will plow straight out of town as soon as you complete your last exam to go home, or wherever you are spending the three weeks of winter break. I recommend packing as many of your belongings as you possibly can in advance to save yourself the stress while preparing for your exams — this should be the last thing you worry about this week. You do not want to be scrambling to pack the night before, and especially not the day upon leaving because traffic will be a nightmare.
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2. Rewrite All of Your Notes by Hand
Whether your notes for a class are written or typed on your computer, rewrite everything that you might have to know. Going through the motions of writing out information a second or third time, either on flashcards or in a notebook, will enhance your recall and allow you to process and remember it all much more effectively. Color-coding your notes does not hurt either — it makes them a little more fun to work with, and the colors can help you associate yourself with different topics.
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3. Be Someone’s Teacher
Shout out to my former advertising professor, Barry Solomon, for instilling in me the study method of teaching concepts to peers and family. It’s one thing to simply read and review your notes and think you are well informed about the subject that you are preparing for, but another to be able to relay the information in your own words to someone else who knows little to nothing about it, in order to ensure your own understanding of the concepts.
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4. Keep a Spare Coloring Book on-Hand
In all seriousness, coloring is one of the most therapeutic activities one can do during a study break or any other stressful period in life. Whether you are studying with a friend or by yourself, take 15 minutes to pull out a coloring book and play some tunes.
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5. To Work the Body Is to Also Work the Brain
It’s so incredibly important to exercise all the time, but especially during finals week. Releasing endorphins helps to maintain both your physical and mental health, while also allowing for better sleep patterns, which will help to improve your overall academic performance and keep you from getting sick.
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6. Your Body Is a Machine – Fill It with Fuel
Being so busy during finals week leads many of us to grab quick bites for meals and resorting to fast food. While it’s tempting to treat yourself to junk food in-between studying, food highs from carbs and sugar will cause you to crash and run out of energy. Eat well, as food should be your fuel during this week, and foods with omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and olive oil, can help to reduce test-taking anxiety and maintain your energy.
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7. Take Breaks to Do Things That You Enjoy
While it may feel like you need to use every ounce of your time to fill your brain to the brim with as much knowledge as possible, you must take a break to do things that you like to do in order to keep up your motivation. For example, if you love to go bike riding or swimming, take an hour or so out of your day to do it.
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8. Put the Phone Away!
In this day and age, our phones are by far our biggest distractions. Between mindless scrolls through Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram posts of where people would rather be during finals week, they serve as gateways to a lack of productivity. While studying, shut off your phone or put it in airplane mode to resist any temptations. You will not have social media FOMO — the people posting also need to be doing their work.
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9. Choose Your Music Carefully
Different music playlists work for different people when it comes to studying. I have found that listening to ocean waves and instrumental music is not only relaxing, but it also helps me to focus more efficiently. Listening to my regular music just makes me want to sing and dance along, and I often times find myself reading an entire chapter of information and failing to retain any of the information.
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10. Change Your Scenery
It can feel repetitive and mundane to study in the same spot every single day. Mixing up your study sesh will make it so much more enjoyable, and there are so many spots around Tallahassee to choose from. On campus, there are multiple coffee shops, such as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and Sweet Shop; and many class buildings contain quiet rooms for studying. Since the weather has been pleasant, laying out a blanket and studying on Landis Green is a great way to get some fresh air. If you are able to escape campus, some other great locations for studying include Catalina Coffee Shop, Black Dog, Lucky Goat, All Saints Café and Red Eye.
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11. Schedule out Your Studying
Make an itinerary, if you will, for studying. Hopefully, your exams are scattered across different days, but regardless, it’s very important that you make yourself a schedule in which you indicate when you will study for each subject and for how long. I like to divide up my days based on when I will study certain concepts and chapters within each course.
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12. Go to Office Hours
Your professors do want to help you succeed. Email them to set aside time for addressing any questions or concerns you may have about your exams.
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14. Look Good, Feel Good
Do not get me wrong — most of the time, I arrive at my exams in an oversized hoodie and leggings, but I have always lived by the fact that when you feel good about yourself in a nice outfit, you will succeed; as you will naturally exude more confidence.
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