Finals are coming up!! Our stress levels are high and we need to give ourselves time and energy to cope for this crazy season. Here are a few tips to take into consideration when battling the big textbooks, powerpoint slides and hours of crying over small details about courses.
1. Stay Hydrated and satiated
Remember food and water give us the energy to pull those all-nighters and go through those long textbook readings. We all need to drink water and eat frequently because guess what the brain needs food to function and we need the extra boost of energy from eating things we like.
But, eating junk isn’t going to help either, there should be a balance of healthy and unhealthy. I personally like to snack on nuts and on the days when I really need the motivation I will get some ice cream. Food is important but so is water because you really don’t want to get sick due to dehydration during exam season. Feed yourself and remember to drink lots of water!
2. Use the Pomodoro App
This app is a blessing in itself, it does wonders. The only thing you have to do is click the start button. We all know that spacing our study sessions and taking breaks is really important, but how many of us actually take breaks that are helpful and quick? Well, the Pomodoro app assists you with managing your study time by prompting you to take a 5-minute break after a 25-minute studying session. Another cool feature is that the app functions in intervals. After 4 intervals, my app allows me to take a longer break of 15 minutes, and in that time I can watch something or eat something. As a result, I have seen that I complete more work than I would by doing 2 hours of constant studying. If you are curious what Pomodoro means, it means tomato. Go try the app out!!
3. Sleep
My friends, I can’t exaggerate enough how important sleep is for information retention. We think all-nighters are good because we are getting extra time to study, but instead, our brain is suffering. When our brains are sleep deprived, we will not retain what we learn and will suffer by the time we get to the exam hall. I am guilty of this, but there is always room for improvement. Sleep is essential in performing great on our finals and it will always be the best way to relax our body and mind. Use it to your advantage and freshen up to study even more the next day. Learn from the experts, babies!!
4. Use the Study Spaces
As a university student, we have access to so many great places on campus to study. On the Waterloo campus ,we have EV3 that has a great natural vibe and you can totally study in peace with a connection to the environment. I personally love to complete my papers and work at the Starbucks in STC and I love to study for exams in my room or the lounges in my residence building. If you are a student living on campus, I highly recommend using the lounges and the halls in the residences because there is so much motivation and positivity coming from the people studying around you. Go and find your space and utilize it to the fullest, because if you are content with the way you study and place you study at, it will boost your confidence.
5. Stressing Won’t Help at All
Don’t forget to breathe and give yourself a break. I understand that finals are stressful and the most horrific part of the semester but guess what, it is not the end of everything. Finals are just another way to tell us that the glorious time of summer vacay is approaching. Do some meditation before going into the exam hall and give it your best because that’s all you can do. Remember stressing during studying will hinder information retention and stressing during the exam will hinder recall. So, to put this in simple words, don’t stress!
Finals are important, but so is your health and wellbeing, so take care of yourself and make sure to take breaks. Take it easy and do not stress so much that you cannot concentrate. Remember summer is just around the corner so let’s end the term with a bang!