This past summer semester, I experienced my first finals week of college. In preparation for the big week, I struggled with overwhelming anticipation, anxiety about time-management between exams, two projects and packing, and I somehow was able to both procrastinate and overwork myself at the same time. Looking back, I stressed about whether I was over preparing or not trying my best, and whether I should go out to the frat party with all my friends or stay in for the night for a study date with me, myself and I. In the end, I earned A's on both of my final exams, and passed both classes with A's as well. Though I am immensely proud of my accomplishments and I learned a lot about myself from finals week, there are many things I both recommend and regret doing finals week.

Throughout high school, I was never really a "studier," and would look at my notes a little before tests. Going into college, I understood that this would not be the case anymore, and I knew my study methods needed a makeover. I always knew I was more of a visual and hands-on learner, but I went through trial and error with dozens of different study methods to no avail. I decided to take a step back, sit down and attempt to create a study method that utilized my learning strengths in a more inventive manner. Thankfully, I discovered a study method best suited for me during finals week.

I've always preferred handwriting over typing, but writing notes endlessly never helped me memorize information. Flash cards were a usual go-to, but allowed for too much information to be processed by my tired brain at once. I must've gone through over two-hundred index cards between both classes, and cutting them in half to create more was the usual routine. I first created flash cards with my notes filling every inch of the lined side, which seemed like a complete waste to my peers.

I studied my flash cards with one study buddy for each exam, and each of us quizzed one another and discussed methods of remembering materials more efficiently. I studied my flash cards with them whenever I could until I believed I knew everything or almost everything I needed to know about each term. Then, I travelled to the kitchen-study on my floor and employed the large white board along the wall. I would look at my flash card term, write the term or question on the board, and write out everything I knew about the subject until my fingers were numb and my wrist cramped. Then, I would flip my flash card over, check off everything I got right on the board, write on the board what I missed or didn't know and stare at the board for a minute or so. Surprisingly, this study method worked to my advantage, and helped me pull off A's on my exams in a unique and innovative way.

My advice:

Find the best study method for you and utilize it to your advantage. What might work for your friends may not necessarily work for you, and don't compromise your grade for your friends'. If you haven't found your best study method yet, don't be afraid to think outside the box and try something completely out there. Also, if you do have friends that share your study method, definitely study with a buddy. It never hurts to bounce ideas off of one another, compare notes and discuss quirky ways to remember information, but always choose a study buddy you can trust to stay focused on studying and not snapchat every second or wander off to gossip with other friends.

It's extremely easy to procrastinate study time when other people around you are going out on the town or hanging out at the mall. Studying is construed as a tiring, boring activity that is almost punishment to your mood. I often felt like giving up, and I was pessimistic about wasting my time studying instead of doing fun activities that would make me happy. I decided enough was enough, and I typed out a study schedule for the week, specifying when I would study, what I specifically would be studying and where. This study schedule gave me that extra push I needed, because seeing an organized, neat schedule of my plans allowed me to recognize how much studying and effort I needed to put forth while also keeping me from just deciding when to study, which usually resulted in me simply "not feeling it" and essentially skipping the studying. Scheduled study times put positive pressure and responsibility on me sticking to my schedule.

When I looked at my schedule every couple of hours, I first perceived study time as my prison sentence of boredom. "Study parties" never truly allow for focused study time, but a "study party" of one is definitely possible. Whenever I studied, I plugged my headphones in, cranked the volume to the max and jammed to music while I studied. Whenever I was alone, I ended up dancing a little too hard while I studied, which provided my brain with excitement and energy and allowed for it to associate studying with fun and happiness.

My advice:

Create a detailed study schedule and stick to it to stay motivated and organized during finals week. Having a resource to refer back to when you find yourself straying from your responsibilities snaps you back to reality, and you can recognize the crucial "activities" (study time) that you simply cannot skip. Additionally, make your study time a blast. Study in a positive atmosphere, dance around to your favorite songs and find what makes your study experience positive; you can accomplish so much more when you're in a positive mood.

Maintaining a healthy mind and body is always your number one priority, especially during finals week when stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time high. I basically ended up putting my overall wellbeing on the back burner, and didn't take care of myself during finals week. This is one of my biggest regrets of finals week. Seriously.

Whenever my friends asked me if I wanted to join them at the dining hall, I turned their offer down with the excuse of me being too busy studying. I was so focused on studying and preparing for finals that I severely lost my appetite, and ate almost nothing every day during finals week. Your body needs nutrients from food for energy, for focus and memory and for other important functions your body needs to perform to stay healthy. My tunnel vision on studying became so severe that I stayed up every night, either sleeping for only a couple hours or not even sleeping at all. I felt too guilty if I decided to waste my time to take a nap or make myself food, leading to my body and mind overworking themselves and depriving myself of essential nutrients and sleep cycles.

My advice:

Your health and wellbeing is always a priority over studying. Don't feel guilty to grab a bite to eat or catch some Z's when it's getting late. Don't make food or sleep a reward for hard work, make them your warmup to your exercise; you cannot possibly get the most out of your exercise without warming up first. If you feel like you have to compromise your health and wellbeing to get an A, you're studying wrong. I wish I realized this before it was too late.

Finals week is also the last week to spend time with your college friends before heading home for break. Due to this, there are an abundance of fun activities that take place during finals week, including a high amount of parties. I loved having fun and going to parties with my friends, but I also realized that my grades were a priority over a couple hours partying. I got invited to many parties during finals week, but I turned all of them down, except for one. I went to that one party during finals week, and the morning after I was perfectly capable of sticking to my study schedule and getting my responsibilities taken care of. I wish I took advantage of these opportunities of going out with friends more that week, and I regret not taking breaks from studying.

Although it was too late, the moment I realized I took studying too far was when I ultimately returned from the kitchen-study late Thursday night, and realized I studied for eleven hours straight in the kitchen-study without taking any breaks. Eleven hours. I didn't even believe this was possible. I walked back from the kitchen-study to almost my entire pod sitting in the common area watching movies together on the last night before moving out. I truly regret not taking breaks from studying to spend my last days with pod mates that became like family to me.

My advice:

Go to that party everyone is talking about. Spend more time with your friends. Cherish your last couple of days with the people you care about. Before you make any decisions, know your body and know your limits so you can have fun but also be able to take care of your responsibilities afterward. Don't totally blow off studying to only have fun, but make sure to take breaks from your study time to have fun with friends and create memories you'll be talking about for years. Don't threaten vital relationships in your life for a single grade. Finals are important, but they aren't everything.

Whether your fall semester finals are your first, your second or your tenth, remember that these are just grades. Yes, don't sacrifice your grades for parties or sleeping all day; your finals help determine your college GPA and your future career. However, remember that your wellbeing and social life are just as important. Finding your balance during finals week is essential to your overall success, and I feel more prepared for this upcoming semester from these experiences during summer session. You are in charge of your life; your decisions during finals week can make or break you, but you get to choose how you want it to play out in the end.