The semester is coming to an end, which means, finals week is almost among us. In most classes, final exams count for a huge percentage of the students’ grade; which is why finals week is usually the most stressful part of the semester. For many college students, it’s hard to keep your cool during finals season, so I’ve put together a list of tips to help you keep it together this finals season.
1. Study, but don’t overdo it.
In “college culture”, pulling all nighters, especially during finals week, has become the norm. Although, I’ve pulled my share of all nighters, I would not recommend doing this to anyone. It’s been proven that staying up all night trying to learn material for school is nowhere nearly as effective as studying further ahead of time. If you study throughout the weeks leading up to your final, all-nighters won’t be necessary, and you can get all the sleep you need.
2. Don’t overload on caffeine.
Similarly to pulling all-nighters, drinking excessive amounts of coffee and energy drinks is common for college students during this stressful time of the year. Being too wired by caffeine will keep you awake, but you will be far from calm. Along with being jittery, you probably won’t even be able to focus the way you need to in order to study effectively.
**If you feel the need to drink a lot of coffee, then you aren’t getting enough sleep, and that’s not good!**
3. Don’t forget to eat
I know this seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how many people get so caught up by studying, they forget to feed themselves! In order to study effectively, it’s essential to give your brain the fuel it needs. Your meals don’t have to be fancy (because ain’t nobody got time for that), but they need to be balanced, so that you get the nutrients you need to be energized and focused.
4. Treat yourself.
During finals week, it’s easy to get stressed out and overwhelmed, so you might need to take a break from studying and test-taking. Sometime throughout the nightmare that is finals week, be sure to treat yourself to something you like, but wouldn’t normally indulge in. Whether it be a venti lemonade from Starbucks, a waffle cone from Bruster’s, or taking yourself to see a movie; be very intentional about treating yourself during the week.
5. Set aside “down” time.
Down time is when you put the books away for the night. Studying and stressing right before bed is a sure-fire way way to ensure you won’t have a peaceful night of rest. During finals week, you have to be very intentional about the amount of rest you’re getting, and setting aside down time is one of the best ways to do that. During your down time, try to do something you like! It’s a good idea to make some time to do things that you enjoy so that all of your time isn’t spent stressing over tests and grades.
Staying calm and keeping it cool during finals week, is probably one of the hardest things to do. If you put these tips into practice, you’ll be able to keep it cute this finals season, while acing those tests! Good luck, you can do this!