There’s a saying that we all have our own cross to bear, and sadly for all of us, that’s Finals, in this case. Stress is a great motivator to study, but it is also a great distraction from retaining information when studying and when taking the test. Sometimes people will get so nervous and shell-shocked upon being hit with a Final in class that they freeze, pencil in hand shaking, not knowing what to do. So, though nerves may act as a great motivator for studying during Finals, since your nerves will be like an adrenaline rush pushing you to survive the test by studying, they can also be debilitating and only a certain amount of stress is healthy during Finals. That is the purpose of this article—to help you manage your stress in studying for Finals.
A) Give yourself small goals—it’ll make studying less stressful. For instance, if you have a Final in a class with heavy reading, reward yourself with an m&m, skittle, or dark chocolate chip every page or chapter you re-read (or for some of us, read for the first time…).
B) Make a schedule and put on a timer. If you’re overwhelmed with materials to study, it sometimes helps to make yourself a checklist and check tasks off as you go. Along with the checklist, to stay on task with all of these extra assignments due during studying for Finals, too, make yourself a schedule on your phone’s calendar and put on a timer for about an hour or two for each task you begin.
C) Take small breaks or intermittent naps when studying/writing. Just like a car loses gas if you keep driving it and don’t take a pit-stop, your brain will lose energy if you continuously study or write without taking a break. 20-minute breaks will likely keep you slightly more energized during studying and/or a 15-minute nap may rejuvenate you. WARNING: If you take longer than a 15-minute nap, you’re likely to start entering a deeper stage of sleep and will only wake up more tired, then, which would beat the point of a nap…unless you plan on sleeping through your Finals and waking up when it’s all over.
D) Go outside if it’s sunny and study at a picnic table or bench. Though the suspicion that college students have evolved to be nocturnal and no longer need sleep at night has been gaining steadily more merit as I go through college, this does not mean that we have to depress ourselves further when studying by staying inside a dark room. A little brief time in the sun typically energizes people, when it’s not too hot, at least—just like studying, it’s all a balance.
E) Have a coffee outing with a friend and both study materials for your own respective classes, maybe. Sometimes a change in scenery helps.
F) I don’t think I need to even say this one, but cry if you need a good cry from all the stress, when studying. Sometimes if you’re really stressed, crying can be a cathartic experience, one in which you feel like a weight has been lifted. After this possible cleansing experience, take a few deep, relaxing breaths, and start studying again, once calming down.
And remember one last thing. Whether you make an F, D, C, B, or A on the Final, the Final is not the Final say as to how successful in life you will be.