The last stretch of the semester can be absolutely insane; between cramming for your exams, wrapping up papers and attending ALL of the review sessions, sometimes it literally feels like you don’t have time to even sit down and breathe. Here are a few tricks that help me keep my mind a little more at ease during the craziness that is finals week.
1. Take Some Time for Yourself Right When You Wake Up
Whether it’s drawing, writing, listening to music or reading, take some time to destress and just be you. Waking your mind up in the morning is important to the rest of the day, so eating breakfast and preparing yourself for the insanity that will be the day, will help things run a little more smoothly.
2. Make a List
Making a list and organizing your tasks by priority will help things seem a little less overwhelming. Plus, nothing feels better than being able to check something off and feel that momentary sense of accomplishment.
3. Take Care of Your Body
Sometimes it can be easy to get so caught up in your work that you miss a meal, or totally forget to drink any water all day because the only thing that has entered your body is caffeine, but these habits can actually be so harmful to your productivity. Keeping a healthy body is just as crucial to your studying as keeping a healthy mind.
4. Study, Study, Study… but Know When to Stop.
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as studying TOO hard. You definitely can only study the same material for so long before your brain is absolutely fried, so make sure you check yourself and work some breaks into your schedule.
5. Sleep is Important Too!
When you’re stressed and determined to get everything memorized, it’s easy to lose track of time and stay up super late. However it’s proven that memory consolidation doesn’t occur unless you get a good night of sleep, so get in those 8 hours and continue your cramming in the morning.