Prepare yourselves, finals week is coming! The spring semester is soon coming to an end (it’s about time!) which means the most dreaded week of them all is soon approaching. Finals week.
Unfortunately, not only does finals week come with a string of endless exams, but it also brings stress into our lives. The library becomes your home for a week and a full coffee cup sits next to you 24/7 like an overbearing best friend. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Stress seems to conquer us all during finals week and it can get overwhelming at times. Here are a few tips to help you manage stress and make the best of your finals week without wanting to rip your hair out.
1. Time management matters!
So you’re taking six classes and have six exams, right? You may feel like you don’t have enough time to study for all exams, thus unleashing stress upon yourself, but fear not! You still have time to study for all of your exams and pass them with flying colors. Set up a study schedule and divide time up between however many exams you have. Make sure you set up short but repetitive study times for each exam so that your brain is able to process and preserve information easier.
2. Create an appropriate study environment.
We’re all aware that the library on campus fills up with students faster on finals week than Best Buy on Black Friday. Students often like to study in groups, but for most of the time they digress with gossip and Facebook distractions. This can create distracting noise. If you’re the type of person who needs a quiet study room, find an empty, secluded study room in your hall so that you don’t become stressed with unnecessary background noise. If you need noise in the background, find an appropriate place in the library or at a café and study away. Pick your study environment wisely!
3. It’s not bad to take a break.
Warning: take a break with caution! For some students, studying for endless hours at a time may help them retain information but for others, studying in increments helps them better than cramming. Whichever study method you have, it’s okay to take a few breaks but don’t overdo it! If you’re studying continuously for two hours, take a 10 minute break to relax your brain, but don’t let those 10 minutes turn into an hour of Facebook creeping. Digressing from studying for a long period of time can actually make it harder for you to dive back into studying and it can make you more stressed out than you need to be.
4. Sleep is a MUST.
We all cherish our sleep during finals week—that is, if we get any. Make sure you have at least 8 hours of sleep under your belt every night so that your brain can function better. Being well-rested will allow you to focus better. And let’s be honest here, no one likes studying as it is, but studying while yawning is perhaps the worst experience ever. So sleep well so you can study well to reduce stress!
5. It’s all about nutrition.
Having a healthy and consistent eating schedule during finals week is really important. You don’t want to be the person whose growling stomach is a distraction to those around you while you’re taking a test. Keep healthy snacks around you so you can munch and study.
6. Use relaxation techniques.
When you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed with stress, take a break and use simple relaxation techniques to calm your brain and muscles. Deep breathing is proven to help relax muscles. Yoga and meditation both help to keep the mind and body focused and relaxed. The most important thing is to keep yourself relaxed and calm throughout finals week to reduce stress.
Well there you have it, fellow college students. These are some simple, but extremely important steps for the most relaxed, non-stressful finals week of your life. Follow these steps and watch those A’s pile up. Good luck on finals week!