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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UVA chapter.

The common refrain around Grounds right now is an overwhelmingly negative and dreadful sigh about finals — the workload seems never-ending, the stakes feel high, and the end-of-year fatigue is only growing. The good news is that finals season can be fun. While you might need some convincing to accept this, I truly think finals beat the drudgery of midterms.

  1. No more classes!

This one is key to remember. While you might have a list of papers to write and exams to study for, classes are over. This means your schedule is lighter, and you have more control over the structure of your day. You can sleep in if you want to, or you can wake up early to study and reward yourself with a midday nap. Having this agency over your schedule makes finals season something to look forward to.

  1. There are fewer assignments to juggle.

Just think — during midterms, you had to juggle exams and papers on-top of your regular class schedule and other assignments. Once finals start, you likely only have a paper or exam to focus your energy on for each class. If you survived midterms, you can totally survive finals.

  1. Use finals as a reason to treat yourself.

I am guilty of treating myself semester-long (how else am I supposed to survive the school year?), but the best part about finals is now you unarguably have a reason to treat yourself. Not only did you just take a three-hour long exam or spend the day inside the library working on a 10-page paper, but you fully completed a course. That is an accomplishment most worthy of a treat — I know I like to pick up my favorite lunch after a morning exam.

  1. Romanticize the study process.

Picture this: you are comfortably set up in your favorite corner of the library, you have your favorite coffee order sitting next to you, and your favorite playlist is playing through your airpods. I personally love listening to a mix of Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lorde while writing a paper. The tiny things can make finals more exciting — or at least bearable — and sometimes that is all you can do to get through it.

Wishing you the best of luck on finals!

-Elizabeth

Elizabeth Parsons is a staff writer at the University of Virginia’s HerCampus chapter. She joined the team during the 2022-2023 academic year. Elizabeth is from Virginia Beach, VA, where she has lived for her whole life. As a third-year student with a passion for reading and writing, she is studying both English and French. She is also the Senior Associate of The Cavalier Daily’s Life Desk, which focuses on content specific to student life at UVA — including features of student events and organizations, food-related articles, student columns, and top 10 lists. Beyond HerCampus, Elizabeth loves sipping oat milk lattes, strolling through bookstores, reading the latest issue of The New Yorker, playing Wordle, swimming, going to the beach, and watching reality TV— especially Below Deck Down Under. She is always looking for book recommendations, and she loves talking about her latest reads. After spending last summer in London, she is eager to return — and plans to move to London eventually. She is looking forward to another year with HerCampus and to sharing a mix of all her passions with readers. From the best lip gloss to her tips for studying abroad, Elizabeth is excited to share about all the things that matter to her.