Dear Students who are taking Finals or have taken Finals,

As you already know, there is not a more pressing time of year than finals week. The one week, where after months of going to class and studying, you take your final exams that practically determine what your final score is going to be. All of the work that was put into essays, homework assignments, and tests, long nights of studying, and mental breakdowns that come from studying too much are all coming to a close in a one-week finale to end the semester. You are probably already setting up late-night study sessions, packing up dangerous amounts of coffee or mountain dew, and most likely are setting pizza-delivery numbers onto your speed dial. If you have already finished your finals, you are probably out celebrating with your friends from college and are probably seeing the roses bloom everywhere you walk(metaphorically). There is arguably never a time in college that is more stressful, busy, and time-consuming than preparing for finals week, but there is something that need to be said about the late-night cramming and constant worrying that is associated within final weeks. As an old saying goes, there is nothing more important than your health at the end of the day. Whether it’s getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and working out, the mental and physical health of your being is important to maximizing productivity each and every day. For most people, its much harder to function properly when you are exhausted and are not taking care of yourself, which will impact your test scores.Therefore, I have one message for all college students who are getting ready for finals week.

Please, PLEASE, take care of yourself!

If you are feeling sleep-deprived or drowsy all the time because of your extra time, please take the time to get some sleep before your test. If you are going to pull an all-nighter to study for a test, make sure to do it at least two nights before the test. I guarantee you that having some form of rest will impact your performance on finals, and having at least a minimal of five hours should have a positive impact on your exam. In terms of exercise during exam week, taking the time out of your day to do at least 30 minutes of cardio or weightlifting will help keep your blood circulating and should improve your mental capacity. Just doing a little bit of excising and moving around will help alleviate the buildupof pressure that can occur from sitting down too much or lack of physical motion that comes with studying for finals.By working out and allowing your mind to a break from the long hours spend studying, it should refresh your brain to improve your mental performance. When it comes to nutrition, its important that you are getting two to three large meals a day. It is also important to select healthier alternative snacks when you are studying for your finals, as it can improve the added benefit of your study sessions. For snack selections, I would recommend trail mix, protein bars, yogurt-covered raisins, apples, dried fruit, pistachios, nuts, and different types of berries. By eating healthier, you are doing your body and mind a favor in adding necessary nutrients for it to function properly, which will allow you to maximize its performance. By eating healthy and working out, you are allowing your body to adopt a level of homeostasis and to push its mental capabilities, which if done currently can influence test scores in a positive way.

All in all, finals are the where you want to have your best test scores. Whether you’ve have a semester of all A’s or of all C’s,finals are the time for you to solidify your grade in a positive way. Even though it seems tempting to just stay up late every night and just study super hard all week long, I guarantee you that failing to take care of your mental and physical health will have negative consequences on your exam. If you are going to stay up late and study however as it always end up being the case, limit how late you actually stay up and make sure you stay hydrated . If you take care of your physical and mental health, your body and mind will be easier to control during the craziness of finals, and it should reward you in the long run.