It’s the most wonderful time of the year… not for the semester though. Why though? You guessed it… finals week! The dreaded one week of the semester where everyone is scrambling to do as well as they possibly can do to at least earn a passing score in their classes. Though studying is very important during this time, it is also important to take care of yourself. For some of you this may be your first college finals week and yes it can be scary. Fear not though! Here are my tips for how to survive finals week.
- Drink plenty of water
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You don’t want to be dehydrated while studying. It can make you groggy and leave you with an awful headache. Drinking water provides you with the energy you need to keep powering through that final English paper. Sure, having a cup of coffee can help, but don’t just rely on caffeine. Caffeine can make you irritable and unable to concentrate for long periods of time.
- Give yourself breaks
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It’s important to allow your brain some time to cool off and recharge. You’re going to lose motivations and willpower if you study for hours on end. Take 30-minute breaks for every two hours you study. Do something you love during those 30 minuets: watch Netflix, go to Starbucks, go for a walk, or play some video games.
- Get enough sleep
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Obviously getting a good night’s sleep is healthy for everyone. However, it’s extremely important to do so during finals week. Do not… and let me repeat… DO NOT stay up till 3 am studying for your algebra final. Your brain won’t have time to rest and recharge leaving you to perform worse than if you had gotten the right eight hours of sleep. It’s better to go to bed early and wake up early than it is to go to bed later and wake up early.
- Study! Study! Study!
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Last, but certainly not least, the most obvious out of the four… studying! Of course, you can’t leave studying out of a surviving finals tip list. However, it’s the way you study that matters! Don’t spend hours on end studying one thing. For example, find out the order in which your finals occur. Whatever exam is first, take the time to study for that one first… so on and so forth. If you have multiple exams in a day (which is likely to happen) then study for the one you are most scared for… then focus on the one you are more confident in.
Finals is a rough time for most people. Some of us need a certain grade to even pass the class or just want to end up on the Dean’s list. It doesn’t help that all anyone is looking forward to after first semester finals is the holiday season… this is a big distraction for a lot of people. Just remember to take deep breaths and study at your pace! I hope my tips are helpful for you when it comes to this final season! Happy studying!