Finals are finally here!
December 12 through 16 marks finals week at UK and I, for one, cannot wait for Friday, Dec. 16, 11:30 a.m. to get here to mark my end of the fall semester.
Having survived my share of finals weeks during my time at UK, I have put together seven tips to help you keep from pulling out your hair and managing to get some sleep next week.
This too, will pass.
Finals week is a mere 5 days, which is small in comparison to the semester as a whole. Just remember, it will all be over on Friday, giving us a nice long break for the holidays!
Less than a 4.0 is not the end of the world.
I have never heard of a job requesting your transcript to see what your final grade was in SOC 101. Just flash that diploma when it’s all over with!
Make a list.
I find it so gratifying when I can mark items off a list.
Study guide for JOU 301: check!
Final paper for 455: check!
Giving yourself a reward every time you accomplish something will also help boost your motivation to get things done. Waiting until you get something done to take a 30 minute break to check what’s new on Her Campus, your social networking sites and your email rather than doing it every five minutes will also help boost your productivity.
Know your studying style.
I don’t study as well in a group setting. I prefer to sprawl my notes across my couch and coffee table or hole up in a corner in the basement of Willy T. solo to get my best and most concentrated work done.
Others enjoy collaborating with classmates and meeting up to study together, which helps them compare notes and ask questions. (I figure that’s what text messaging is for.)
If you do want to study for finals or write those end-of-semester term papers in the library, the William T. Young Library will have extended hours through Friday. Willy T. will be open from now until midnight on Friday, Dec. 9, from 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, Dec. 10, and from noon on Sunday, Dec. 11 to Friday, Dec. 16 at 5 p.m.
For safety reasons, you must show your student ID to enter the library after 10 p.m.
Like coffee? Good.
Not only will a caffeine boost keep you alert, it will also be a warm reward during the cold December weather we are so fortunate to enjoy in Kentucky.
Maintain a healthy diet.
Remembering to eat balanced meals throughout the day will also help you sustain the energy that is needed to study for days on end during finals week.
Try to keep up with your normal routine as much as possible.
Do you run three days a week?
Attend church on Wednesday nights?
Visit your grandparents for dinner on Mondays?
Try to maintain a sense of normalcy during the week before and during finals, pending they don’t interfere with your exams schedule. Keeping up with the day to day will help keep you sane and make it easier to jump back into life without finals once they are over with!
Good luck and treat yourself to something fun once you’ve turned in that last exam. Because the spring semester will be here before you know it, marking the start of a cycle that will bring you right back to another round of finals!