Finals are a stressful time for any student. It’s a week full of tests, 10 page papers, presentations, and whatever else your professors have some up with to make your life THAT much harder. So make it the LEAST painful for yourself.
1. Take Breaks
Don’t spend the entire day buried in work. Make sure you take time to breath, maybe take an extra-long shower, watch a movie (don’t fall down a Netflix hole), see your friends, or do anything you can to de-stress.
2. Reward yourself
You have been working hard all semester, and now you have to work even harder. Buy yourself a coffee after you finished a long assignment or go to lunch after your test. You’ll feel so much better and more prepared for the rest of the day afterwards.
3. Practice self-care
Do face masks, paint your nails, and wash your hair. Look good, feel better.
4. Write things down
I can’t tell you to not procrastinate, especially if you have been doing it all your life. But, write down what you have to do, look at your calendar to see what you have due, and make a plan. Which assignments will take you longer, or involve more research? Which will be shorter? Acknowledge where you need to put the most energy.
5. Stay healthy
Grabbing a quick bite to eat from your favorite fast-food spot, the dining hall, or snacks from the markets on campus are fine SOMETIMES. But they don’t give your body or your brain the right stuff they need to function…and you need to do that during finals week. Make sure your grabbing fruit and veggies, and make sure you’re eating enough! Go to the gym on one of your breaks. A healthy body has a healthy mind.