Finals week is the most stressful point of the semester, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work and studying that needs to be done in order to wrap up your classes and finish with a grade that makes you proud. Here are my best tips for a successful finals week.
Remove the Distractions
The most difficult part about binge-studying is avoiding distractions. I, for one, have an incredibly hard time focusing if my phone is going off or if one of my favorite shows is on in the other room. Creating a distraction-free environment for yourself is going to be critical to your studying success. Some ideas to do this are: silence your phone, turn off the TV, tell your friends and family beforehand that you’re going to be busy so that they don’t distract you, and take care of any pressing nonacademic responsibilities before you start studying so that you’re not thinking about them the entire time.
Set The Vibe
Another good way to get your studying on the right track is to make yourself a great battlestation to do your work. Personally, I like to light a candle because it will relax my racing thoughts and help me focus on the task at hand. You may also find it helpful to listen to music or even white noise while studying. Put on your fuzzy slippers, make sure you have water, tea, or coffee, and do everything you can to really put your mind in the space for studying. Just don’t make it too comfortable, or you’ll risk falling asleep!
Don’t Procrastinate
This one’s pretty cliché, but it definitely needs to be said. At this point in the semester, we’re all tired, burnt out, and just ready for it to be over with. It can be really tempting to just take a day or two off at the beginning of your week and promise yourself that you’ll crunch everything else in later. I’m here to tell you: don’t do yourself like that. Future you isn’t going to feel like doing the work any more than the you in the present. Yes, they’ll be fueled by anxiety-driven adrenaline, but it won’t be pleasant, and the quality of your studying and your work will most certainly suffer.
Remind Yourself of Why You’re Doing This
Sometimes I do superficial things to motivate myself, like, “If I do 45 minutes of chemistry reading and notes, I’ll allow myself to watch one episode of my show”. However, what really keeps me motivated in the long run is continually reminding myself why I’m here in college and trying to get good grades. Are you going to be the first in your family to receive a Bachelor’s? Do you need to get good grades in these classes because you want to get into grad school and maybe even get some scholarships? Are you trying to improve your GPA in order to make it a feature on your résumé? There are reasons that you’ve chosen to put yourself in this position of grinding for your final exams, and this is the point where you’ve really got to deliver for yourself. Remember the big picture, and keep in mind that you’re so close to being finished with the semester!
