Study Tips for Making it through Finals Week
As finals week looms ahead, the stress of finishing projects, presentations, papers, and studying can build up quickly, leaving you feeling like you can’t do anything but retreat to your bed for yet another nap. Don’t give in to those feelings of defeat! It’s the end of the year, and you know summer will be awesome. Here are some tips to help you finish strong and earn your free time in the sun!
1. Set Mini-Goals
Make a list of what you need to get done, and then decide which one or two tasks to start with. For example, do 10 practice problems and then let yourself watch one (ONE!) cute animal video on YouTube. Try out different ratios of working to break time, but remember to give yourself rewards. Even if you need to pull an all-nighter, pausing work for five minutes to make a snack or Facebook stalk (pick your poison), will not ruin your studying. In fact, it will make you more productive!
2. Be Realistic
Know your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to studying. Don’t try to study in your bed if you know you’ll end up watching Netflix and napping, and don’t go to the library if you know you’ll just end up people watching. Instead, pay attention to what your best work conditions are. When can you focus the best and where do you get the most inspiration to keep you pushing through writing that twelve-page final paper? Plan to work during your best time and in your best place
3. Start Early
Chronic procrastinators have learned the hard way (the “Oh shoot it’s 2am and I haven’t started that research paper!” way) that the hardest part of getting any big project done is starting. Just reading the assignment and doing ten minutes of research, doing the first problem on that problem set, or checking in with your group and setting a meeting time can end up making a huge difference in your stress levels come finals week. Try your best to start at least a small piece of each big assignment ahead of time.
4. Drink Water
Getting sick on top of all the work that comes with finals week can make an already-difficult week feel impossible. The easiest thing you can do to avoid getting sick is to drink lots and lots of water. (Bathroom breaks will also force you to get up and move a little bit!) Stress and lack of sleep drastically weaken your immune system, so make sure to help your body out by drinking water and eating healthily.
5. Dress Up
Don’t head for the Halloween costumes, but dress as if you’re going to a workplace. We all know that wearing sweats is much comfier, but a Washington Post article suggests that it might be better to dress nicer when trying to get work done.
6. “Fake It ‘Till You Make It”: Power Pose
Amy Cuddy, a social scientist, has found that holding certain poses for as little as two minutes – “power posing” – can increase your testosterone levels (the confidence hormone) and lower your cortisol levels (the stress hormone); these changes make you feel more confident and can significantly increase your level of performance. Watch her Ted Talk as a study break!
Happy studying, and good luck with your finals!