Thanksgiving turkey and pie set our nerves as ease, but it is time to face the music –finals week is upon us, my friends. Cue the scary music and the high-pitched scream, gents. We must make it through and we must begin studying ‘cause I know y’all have not touched your notes since midterms. It is time to dust off the text book that you haven’t looked at since the third week of the semester and put on some sweats, get your butt to the library, and cram like your life depends on it. (Side note: cramming is actually really horrible for your recall. That is why you can never remember all those hours you spent memorizing the textbook mere hours before your exam, nonetheless, here we are again, and those hours are passing quickly. Good luck!)
Some say chewing the same flavor of chewing gum while you study and while you take the exam can increase your recall. I am not a big chewing-gum person, so I have no idea if that works, but when you’re desperate, might as well give it a shot! You will need a lot of chewing gum. I find it is easier to remember things if I can tame the nervous voice in my head reminding me of everything I must accomplish and the dates coming up. That voice runs so much I forget what I have already done, am going to do, and what day it is. I have had many Mondays lived as a Thursday and vice versa. Music is the best way for me to calm that voice. Along with the gum, a lot of people swear by studying with classical music playing. Frankly, classical music is great, but it is more likely to lull me to sleep faster than my textbook will. That is why I listen to mellow pop music while I study.
Here is a list of pop artists with more mellow tones.
- John Mayer
- James Bay
- Birdy
- Ed Sheeran
- James Arthur
- Gavin DeGraw
- Norah Jones
- Amos Lee
- Lauv
- Kodaline
- Jack Johnson
- James TW
- Sam Smith
- JP Cooper
- Harry Styles
- Jasmine Thompson
- Hozier
- Vance Joy
- Michael Bublé
- Piano Guys
- Adele –this is the risky one. Can you resist singing with the Queen? If not, maybe save her for the hot shower after your last exam.
Disclaimer: because most of them are popular artists, you may be sucked into the music. If that happens, maybe try classical music or switch artists. Acoustic versions are also a good idea for better for concentration. Also, try listening to them with the volume down. Let the music fade away and let the chill vibes in. The idea is to let you focus on the words on the page, not the beauty and the beat. If you already have a favorite study playlist, stick with it. There’s no point in switching things up just before finals –you are under enough stress.
Some free tips and tricks for calming the mind and soul.
- Study outside of your room and away from your bed. Find a comfy, quiet place where you will not give into Netflix or sleep.
- Tea before coffee. Caffeine will only turn up the volume on the little nervous voice. Try some chamomile or mint tea, add honey or sugar for some extra sweetness.
- Write it all out. Make a list of what you need to get done and begin checking them off.
- Stop procrastinating. Just do it. You will feel better.
- BREATHE. Always remember to keep breathing.
More tips on how to get past procrastination and perfectionism at Crazy = Genius.
You got this. Good luck and give into the stress just enough to prepare yourself well for your exams. Stress can be a good motivator, so let it do its thing; don’t let it shut you down. You are here because your education is worth it to you and you are powerful. You do hard things every day. What is one more thing? What is a little reading and memorizing. You’ve done this a hundred times. Let’s do it again.