It’s here. The week I have been dreading and anticipating all semester: finals week! This week signifies the beginning of an extremely stressful time but also the end of a draining cycle. I honestly can’t believe it’s my seventh finals week, whew, I’m old. But as a veteran in the college life, I finally have some advice to offer.
After taking many different routes when it comes to studying – procrastinating, pulling all-nighters, not studying at all – I have finally found what works for me and, most importantly, what’s healthy when it comes to studying. Finals week can really take a toll on one’s mental and physical health and I want to make sure everyone is prepared so they can avoid any of the negative effects. Keep reading for a look into what I do to ensure I make it through finals alive!
Courtesy: Marten Bjork
Plan Ahead
My preparation for finals week begins at the beginning of the semester. During the first week of classes, I mark the date for the final exam of each of my classes. After a few weeks in the semester, you can determine which classes are easy and which ones are hard. This is how I make a study schedule when finals week gets closer. Be sure to dedicate more time to your difficult classes. When you make a schedule, stick to it! Make sure you schedule in naps and snack breaks as well because even college students need them (at least this one does). When you make this schedule, stick to it! It’s difficult to do especially when it’s crunch time, but just remind yourself that you made this schedule to take care of you!
Have a Study Partner
I’m not gonna lie, majority of the time I do not want to study. I imagine this to be the case for the rest of us college students, as well. This is why it is necessary for me to have a study accountability partner. This person doesn’t have to be in my class or have the same major as me. As long as they are also studying, it inspires me to stay focused and study as well. You’ll be able to keep them accountable as well! In turn, you’ll both have someone who can wake you up from power naps and can tell you when your break scrolling on Instagram has gone on a little too long.
Courtesy: Matt Ragland
Listen to Calming Music While Studying
Something that always calms me when I’m stressed is music, classical music in particular. Realizing this, I decided to implement classical music into my study sessions to keep my stress levels low and my focus levels high as it has been scientifically proven that classical music helps you retain information better. However, any musical genre can be used to help you study. My best friend listens to a playlist of her favorite songs while she studies just to keep herself awake and engaged. Try listening to your fav artist this finals season to see if it helps you out and for anyone interested in classical music, click here for some album suggestions!
Get an Adequate Amount of Sleep
The final and most important tip of them all: sleep. Seriously, get a minimum of eight hours of sleep every night. Sleep is how we retain information we’ve learned, how we relax our minds and bodies and how we generate new skin – I’m not sure about you, but finals stress makes my skin freak out! I’m sure every college student has pulled an all-nighter at least once and if you haven’t, I can personally tell you it’s no fun at all. Skip that extra cup of coffee at 2 am and go to sleep instead, even if it’s a thirty-minute nap until you’re back at it again.
I hope you can learn from my mistakes and take these tips into full consideration. I wish I had known a few of these things before my freshman year of college; I would have been able to study way more efficiently and thus performed even better as well as reduced a great amount of stress.
I’m sending light, love and positive vibes to everyone this finals season and I know you all can ace those exams! Now get back to studying!
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