With Finals Week creeping up eerily fast, I wanted to give some insight as a graduating senior. Being an English major, I never had to participate too hard in Finals Week because most of my finals were projects or papers. However, I have had my fair share of Finals Weeks and I wanted to give some pointers anyway.
First and foremost, never procrastinate. You know how you have 2 papers and 3 exams all due during Finals Week? Start doing what you can immediately! I have always done this and it never fails me. I know it’s intimidating to start assignments, especially essays or papers, but starting them ASAP is always better than waiting and getting more stressed out about it.
I know you’ve heard it before, but it is crucial to use a planner during Finals Week. I think it’s always imperative to use a planner, but especially during this busy, exhausting week. I usually prioritize my list of things to do by their urgency. For example, this week I had the draft of a paper due on Friday. I also have another draft due on Monday (for another class), an essay due on Monday, and the draft of a paper for another class due on Thursday. All this, plus a bunch of other stuff, which I know most students can also relate to. In my planner, I dedicated time on Tuesday and Wednesday to the draft that was due on Friday. Once that was out of the way, I decided which essay I wanted to tackle first, since I have two due on Monday. I chose the easier one to do first, which took me an hour or two to complete. Although I now only have to worry about the essay for Monday, I still have the upcoming Thursday due date for the other paper. Although the Thursday draft isn’t due for a few days and I have more time to dedicate to it, I don’t want to procrastinate and leave it until the last minute. So, this weekend I will complete the draft due on Monday as well as a few pages of the Thursday draft. Do you see how planning gets really confusing and overwhelming? It’s important to prioritize, compartmentalize, and get your stuff done ASAP.
Lastly, make sure to spend time with yourself. The last few weeks of the semester are always rough on the body and mind. If you can, I highly recommend getting a massage at the end of the semester as a reward for all your hard work. Some other ways to de-stress is to stay present and check in with yourself. Be mindful of your posture, breathing, body language, and emotions. I love yoga, especially in the last few weeks of the semester because it’s a great way to get your body moving, decompress, meditate, and simply slow down and become grounded. Stretch, drink water, pace yourself, and use your resources.