Finals week happens twice a year and is arguably the most stressful season for college students. Whether you’re assigned exams, group/solo projects or papers, it seems to add up into a huge pile to put under your to-do list. The stress that comes with all of your assignments can make it hard to clear your brain and actually focus on what you’re meant to be doing. There are a few tips that I’ve acquired that have made my finals slightly less stressful, but still taking a huge weight off of my shoulders nonetheless.
start early
It’s easier said than done, but even just looking over the information from the past semester and making note of the hardest topics can make studying so much easier. If you’re feeling up to it, you can even make a list of the order in which topics you want to tackle first, or which classes have information you need to focus on more than others. Ask yourself questions like, “Is this information being used for a project or a test?” and “How well did I understand this the first time? How many times did it take to get this right?” This way, when you start to dive into your library sessions, you’ll know the perfect places to start.
structure your days
Break out that agenda that you promised yourself you’d keep up with this year but forgot about after the first week of classes. This is the perfect time to put it to good use! Block your days into the different times you’re going to study and what you’re going to study. Whether you take a few hours for one class and only an hour for another is up to you. It’s your schedule, so you get to personalize it to what’s best for you! Having a clear plan can keep you motivated and prepared to study the information for a certain class, and breaking things up will keep things fresh for your mind.
give yourself breaks
While studying for finals is extremely important, so are the breaks in between your sessions. Whether you’re giving yourself an hour or two to grab dinner with a friend, read, or watch your favorite TV show, your brain needs a break from all of the information you’re trying to make stick. If you overwork yourself, it’ll start working against you instead of for you. You may not notice it right away, but you’ll stop absorbing the information and it’ll just go in one ear and out the other. It’s okay to not be studying 24/7 and your breaks can be considered as a reward to keep your morale high.
practice good habits
Don’t lose too much of the good habits you’ve been practicing all semester. Getting that good eight hours of sleep is going to give you the energy to keep studying, so don’t feel that it’s super necessary to pull all-nighters during these few upcoming weeks. Make the time to cook your meals, take a shower and do your skincare. You deserve to feel good after all of the time you’re putting in to wrap up your semester! Just because it’s finals week doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be taking the time to take care of yourself.