Believe me: exams are hard, stress gets to you and you shed some tears. I’ve been there! But here’s what we’re gonna do to make sure you feel great if you do end up having that stress cry!
Pre-Cry
1. Create a study schedule
By now you hopefully know when all of your finals are and when your final assignments are due. So, what are you doing just sitting there? Start mapping out a schedule for when you’ll study for each one and have a goal for when you want your assignments to be finished by (hopefully the due date, but hey, I’m not judging). And think about how confident you are in each class; that’s a key study factor! Obviously, if you’re feeling great about English and nervous about Psych 101, give yourself some extra study time accordingly!
2. Start study groups
Sometimes studying in a group helps you understand concepts better because you can talk them through with your classmates. You can talk about how nervous you might be for the final and they’ll assure you that: “I’m kind of freaking out too!”
Nothing feels better than knowing everybody is in the same boat. You’ll all do great anyways, just as long as you try!
3. Beginning to panic?
So you start to freak out? What the hell is the formula? What is conspicuous consumption? (I still wish I knew) When did we even learn this?? You’re starting to spiral! I’ve been there, I’ve done that and I’m probably doing it as you’re reading this article. Take a breather! And if you have to cry, dude, let it out.
Crying is cathartic. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ugly cried and felt better about whatever I was sobbing about.
Post-cry
So now you’re done crying; maybe your head hurts, eyes are a little puffy, nose is running, but hopefully you feel a bit better. Now what? How do we fix this to get back to studying?
1. Pamper
Go have a nice warm shower. Put on a face mask and blast your favourite playlist (one of our writers made an amazing one on some throwback faves!) because who doesn’t love some nostalgia – am I right?
2. Eat
Whether it’s a small snack or a fancy meal, your body needs something to recharge! Sit down and enjoy it!
3. Take a nap
Little kids cry all the time! But then they have a nap and come back strong. Who says we’re any different? Maybe you’re crying because your body is begging you to get some rest! 20 minutes is plenty for a good power nap that’ll leave you nice and refreshed! So, get your alarm set and start snoozing.
4. Just try
At the end of the day, your marks are important, but not more important than your mental and physical health. This finals season, listen to your body and remember to eat enough and drink plenty of water. As long as you’re studying and trying your best, then you are doing great!
Good luck, Golden Hawks ??