Finals are coming! So I know how we are all feeling:
But do not fear, Saints, you will get through this yet again. But this time, let’s shake it up.
1. Drink water and eat good food.
Brain food, seriously, it’s a thing! A diet of coffee and Chipotle, while tasty, probably won’t help you ace your finals. It’s better to fill up one of your reusable water bottles and grab an apple when going to the library or the study room. Also, maybe try not to study in Saga. While Saga can be quiet during the late afternoon, you don’t want to use food as a way to procrastinate. So, slow down with the cans of Red Bull and maybe lay off the ice cream sandwiches and saga cookies.
2. Exercise
Taking breaks from studying goes without saying. However, what you do with those breaks are incredibly important. Don’t binge watch Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, no matter how tempting it may seem. Instead, go for a nice run, jog, or walk around campus or off campus. Maybe even take a yoga class. Exercise is great way to give your brain a break.
3. Do NOT pull all-nighters.
We get it – there is a ton of information to cram into your brain for those cumulative finals, but do yourself a favor and do NOT stay up all night. Just don’t do it. Just remember if you are cramming at 1:00 a.m. there is a good chance that you will not be retaining any material. You are better off using that time to sleep and be well rested for the morning.
4. Be Realistic.
Here is a hard pill to swallow, but be realistic about what you need to achieve on this final; do you need an 80 or a 200? If you need a 200, than maybe you will need to rethink your strategy on how you are going to pass the class. But, start making a list of what you already know and what you still need to learn and focus your efforts on each accordingly.
5. Whiteboards and their colorful markers!!!!!!
Whiteboards and colorful markers are always fun, so let’s put them to good use. Take advantage of empty classrooms and mark up the boards. By writing different parts of your notes in different colors you will be better be able to memorize information.
6. Use all your senses while studying.
So this a new one for many of you. When studying, don’t be afraid to use all your senses, not just your hands for writing and eyes for reading. For example, if you are learning a foreign language look up some artists that sing in that language. It can help you pick up the accent for the oral part of the exam, as well as gain a better understanding of sentence structure and slang. For those who are studying French, I highly recommend Stromae – he is fabulous artist from Beglium. C’est fantastique!!!
7. Write things out by hand.
Programs like Quizlet have made the need to write notecards obsolete, and Excel even does equations for us, but to better understand what you are learning, take some time to hand write your notes, vocab lists, and equations. By hand writing your notes it slows down the pace of understanding information, which can help boost learning. Also, hand writing definitions and equations can help you with muscle memory, so writing the next work or symbol can come naturally.
8. Turn off the music? Maybe?
We all love to use our Spotify and playlists to keep us motivated throughout finals; however, if you have a hard topic or need to read a chapter in your textbook you may want to turn off the music for the time being. Not having your favorite songs playing will also help you focus more.
9. If you are in the study groove keep going.
Once you’re in a studying groove keep going. Don’t find reasons to stop, if you feel productive it probably means you are and shouldn’t stop just because you scheduled a break.
10. The hardest part is starting, so start homey.
I am sure you are looking at all your books and study guides and all you can think about is having to open them and start studying. But remember this, starting is the hardest part, so go pack your bag and head out to your study spot.