Honestly, it’s terrifying that finals are right around the corner. As we write final papers, cram for exams, and spend hours agonizing over either learned or unlearned material from the semester, sometimes it’s nice to have company in our misery. Although this time of the year is undoubtedly stressful, once the hard work is over and our assignments are submitted, there is a wonderful summer waiting on the other side.
Despite this, we have to get through the stress of finals one way or another. Rather than procrastinating and stressing even more, take a look below at some of my favorite tips and tricks to increase productivity and decrease stress!
- Take Breaks!
I think that this is my most important tip. Breaks are definitely a slippery slope, so I’d recommend either committing your break to completing one (non-time consuming) task, i.e grabbing coffee or taking a lap around the library or setting a timer for 10 to 15 minutes of time on your phone. I’ve definitely found that it’s better to take a 15 minute break to be productive for 30 minutes rather than doing lazy work for an hour straight.
- Clean your Space
Nobody wants to come home to a messy room after a day spent in the library. I think of my future self when I really don’t feel like making my bed or doing laundry ahead of time. After a long day in the library, I know that all I’ll want to do is climb into clean sheets and watch a show or movie for the night. If you feel like you have your room together, that’s the first step in the day’s productivity.
- Ask for Help
If you’re really feeling overwhelmed or unbearably stressed about an assignment, I always think it’s better to say something rather than suffer in silence. Most of the time, professors are incredibly understanding about the stress levels of their students. While you won’t be granted an extension most of the time on short notice, I’ve found that, when asked, professors are more than willing to review or hold extra office hours for those who need them during finals. Don’t forget to also be in contact with classmates to ease the stress and work in teams!
- Trust Yourself!
At the end of the day, you ultimately know best if you’ve been keeping up with your assignments and work for the semester. If you’re really in a tough spot, definitely ask for help, but if you’ve been consistent with your work and assignments throughout the entire run of the class, it’s unlikely that the final will be the one thing to sink you. So, if you put in the work, stay organized, and put your best effort in at the end, there is only success ahead!