It’s that time of the year again, and no I am not talking about Christmas. Before us students can enjoy the very jolly holidays, we have to pass an obstacle called “Finals”. If Christmas were Thorin’s treasure under the mountain, finals would be Smaug. If Aaron in Mean Girls were the semester break, Regina would be final exams. Here are some tips that will hopefully help you see the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter if finals blow fire or throw snarky comments at you.
1. Don’t do everything guides suggest
This one might seem to be contradicting the whole purpose of this article but it is true. I remember first year when I was preparing for finals, I went through many guides and started getting worried when I saw I wasn’t following half of the advice they gave. Now I know that the actual point is to follow whatever suits you. If setting up a Quizlet account is not your thing then skip it! As the name suggests these are meant to be guides to help you, not to worry you even more.
2. Take care of yourself
This is something that everybody should do at all times but maybe even more during finals. Sitting at a desk for hours might calorie wise not equal an hour of cardio, but it sure does leave you that tired. Make sure you eat well and try your best to avoid the frozen pizza diet most students have during finals. Prepare a big pot of chili, freeze it and you’re good to go. Frozen vegetables are also a student’s best friend during tough times. Just remember to stock up before exams start.
3. Plan Ahead
Planning ahead encompasses a lot of things to get you through these hard times. If you are living in rez, you don’t have to worry about cooking, but if not, it is something that can take up a lot of time. Do weekly meal preps before hand so you don’t have to give in to frozen pizza, as I have mentioned above. But also try to have a schedule for what you want to accomplish that day and try to get through it. In my opinion the important thing here is to set realistic goals. If you go through 5 lectures a day, then plan to do so. Saying that you’ll finish 15 but then only going through 5 will cause you to stress out, which is something you don’t need more of during finals.
4. Have a support system
Your support system can include whomever you feel comfortable with. Family, friends all go in this group. Although don’t forget that most of your friends are going through the exact same process as you and they might not be free to have an hour-long conversation. That being said, a 15-minute conversation won’t hurt anybody and may help you both de-stress and focus better on studying.
5. Take breaks
If MIT said it, it must be true. Taking breaks after a period of studying is essential. Try to study for 50 minutes and then take a 10-minute break to unwind. This will help you focus and get back to studying with a clear mind. Additionally, since most students find it quite hard to break away from social media, use these breaks to check those websites and then close them once your 10-minutes are over. This will keep you from constantly looking at your phone and will help you focus.
Images obtained from:
https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/keep-study
http://coffeewithbecs.com/2014/08/12/your-perfect-back-to-school-guide/