Finals week. The week where stress is at an all-time high and sleep is at an all-time low. The week where libraries, coffee shops and Zoom are full of study groups cramming and pulling all-nighters to get at least a C on their exams. This week can be a very busy and hectic time for students. Here are three tips on how to stay organized and not completely fall apart.
1. Plan Ahead, Plan Ahead, Plan Ahead
Repeat after me, ”I WILL NOT PROCRASTINATE.” Don’t wait until the last minute to plan and study for final exams. I always say as soon as you get the syllabus, start writing down the important dates. Doing so will help you mentally prepare for what’s to come, such as finals. You never want to be that student that’s surprised when the professor mentions that the final exam is next week.
2. Invest in Some Type of Planner
I recommend you grab some type of planner. You can get a paper planner or an app on your phone. It’s up to you when it comes to preferences, but you need something. I personally prefer to use Notion and Google Calendar. This is definitely a tool to organize your life and help keep track of things like study groups, class review sessions, office hours or time conflicts that you need to talk to your professor about.
3. Prioritize
During finals, it can feel like you have a million and two things to do. From final papers to presentations, it can be very challenging to keep up with, but that’s where prioritization comes in. Complete the most important assignments first, then focus on the others later. This tip can work for your personal life as well. Prioritizing Netflix over studying spells trouble. Make the right choices to make the right grade.
Finals week is definitely a challenging week to navigate through, but I promise staying organized will help with the stress immensely. It’ll help you keep track of the important things, and overall you’ll feel much more prepared than typical students.