The dreadful time of year is near. Finals week. For Holy Cross students, finals week can be a lot… to say the least. The library is always stuffed to the brim while students are sweating out (figuratively and literally. Dinand is always a sauna) their last few days of work. Being a junior, this is my sixth time facing finals week and although my workload hasn’t gotten any lighter, I can confidently say managing it has gotten easier. Here’s some skills I have used to optimize my time and come out of finals week feeling alive (mostly!).
Plan, Plan, and do some more Planning
Although my friends sometimes think that I am crazy for writing down every possible thing I need to get done, and by when, I cannot emphasize enough how helpful planning is during finals week. Whether its writing some tasks on a sticky note or planning out your week in an agenda you will feel much more in control if you write everything out. Planning will help you declutter your mind and focus on one task at a time. This small organizational skill has transformed how I work as a student and being able to cross things off a list is unexplainably satisfying, so give it a try.
Keep a routine
I know, the freedom of finals week is incredibly intriguing. Not having to wake up for that early morning class and being able to sleep in sounds great until you catch yourself wasting half the day sleeping and making no progress on work. Sleep is super important don’t get me wrong but try to wake up at a reasonable time to have the day to get work done. I promise you’ll thank yourself later when you aren’t pulling an all-nighter cramming for that calc exam you didn’t study for because you were sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon. Get up, eat a good breakfast, and work throughout the day so you don’t have to stay up all night.
Pack snacks and reward yourself!
I am the queen of snacking. I can’t go over two hours without putting something in my system or I get hangry. If hanger hits you like a ton of bricks like it does to me, pack some snacks and drinks for the library. You’re probably going to be spending long amounts of time in studying and nothing says pick-me-up like a bag of Lays potato chips or some sour patch kids. Snacking is great and rewarding yourself during this stressful time is even better. Bring snacks that you love and make sure to hydrate.
One of the hardest parts about finals week is knowing when enough is enough. Know your limits and be sure to take breaks. Grades are important, but your mental health is paramount. Be confident in how you prepared, and everything will fall into place. The light at the end of the tunnel is near… summer is coming.