Ah, the holiday season. The air is getting crisp, the lights are (already) starting to come up, and the motivation of students everywhere is quickly declining. There are so many amazing things to look forward to toward the end of the semester: eating your weight in Thanksgiving food, spending much-needed time with family and friends, festive holiday events; after all, it is the most wonderful time of the year, right? While all of that may be true, the month leading up to the much-anticipated winter break also comes with the looming, ominous weight of the time of year college kids hate most: finals.
So what's the key to keeping the some of the "wonderful" this month? Take it from a seasoned senior: Plan. Ahead. You might be thinking: Hey, calm down! It's not even the middle of November. We have plenty of time before finals! No. Stop. Bad. Between Thanksgiving break, upcoming campus events, organization meetings, a heavier social calendar, and your typical work load, the next few weeks will fly by faster than you can say "that's due tomorrow?" If you do not plan ahead for finals, you will find yourself scrambling to get all of the studying and work done on your reading days, which ends up leading to all-nighters and incredible levels of stress and, in my case, an annual breakdown about 3 a.m. the night before my most important final where I lie in a fetal position and seriously consider dropping out of college and joining the circus. Here are some tips to avoid that ('cause trust me, it's not cute):
1. Get Organized
If you haven't already, invest in a planner/agenda, or just print out a week by week calendar with plenty of space to write down what you need to do each day. Go through and write down any important dates you have coming up that would take away from studying time (breaks, football games, formals, events, etc.). Then, go through each of your syllabi and figure out exactly when everything is due from now until the day of your last final. This will help you stay on top of the rest of your semester's assignments as well as prep for the finals themselves without letting anything slip through the cracks.
2. Make a Plan
Once you have all of your important events and due dates laid out, you're ready to make a plan. Depending on your workload, plan to devote two to three hours on most week days and at least one weekend day to school work. I know that sounds like all of the cheesy advice you received your first day of college, but trust me, it really does help.
Go through each week in your planner and figure out what assignments are due. Write down what you need to get done each day in your two- to three-hour homework time in order to get them done. More likely than not, this will allow you to split up the workload for an assignment between multiple days so you won't feel stressed and overwhelmed about finishing it all at once. This also will allow you to start integrating future assignments into your schedule so you can begin getting a head start.
The same goes with studying for finals: the earlier you start, the less stressed out you will be. Break down what you need to study into sections and begin assigning those sections into your calendar when you have time available. If you space out your workload into smaller chunks and get a bit done each day, you will find yourself much less overwhelmed as finals approach. This strategy will prevent the dreaded all-nighter, give you some wiggle room for unexpected problems, and help you have time to get some sleep and still enjoy a social life. I know it sounds like you may be devoting much more time to school, but it honestly will allow you to be more spontaneous and have more fun. If you end up wanting to go out or go to a cool event at the last minute, you'll have the freedom to do so because you'll already be ahead of your schoolwork, rather than having to decline because you have an assignment due the following day that you haven't even started on.
3. Time Management
Time management goes hand in hand with making a plan, and is just a matter of finding when you have time to act out the schedule you've made for yourself. Two to three hours of studying a day can sound like a lot, especially if you're balancing a heavy school load, a job or internship, commitments to organizations, sports, etc. But the two to three hours doesn't have to be all at once. Have a 45-minute break between classes? Stop by your campus coffee shop and get some work done. Wake up half an hour earlier and go to bed or go out half an hour later than usual. Grab your textbook and read a chapter during lunch. Devoting this time doesn't sound so daunting when you just think about it in small chunks, and really can help you get all of your work done.
4. Stay Healthy
During this stressful time of year, it's so easy to get sick or feel drained and exhausted, which only makes getting through finals season even worse. It's important to take care of yourself.
Make sure you're getting enough sleep. All of the things we've already discussed will help you manage your time in a way that will help you still get a good night's sleep, which is so incredibly important to maintaining your health. Going out is always fun and can even be a great stress reliever, but make sure it's not happening so often that you aren't getting the rest you need.
Eat healthy. I'm the absolute worst when it comes to stress eating, and so when finals come around, all I want is junk food. It's fast, it's convenient, and it can (temporarily) make you feel a little better. But ultimately, it's not going to give you the nutrition you need to remain healthy, energized, and ready to conquer your day. While of course, it's okay to occasionally pull out the Ben & Jerry's on a really stressful day, don't make a habit of it and make sure you're eating well most of the time so you can power through the rest of the semester.
De-stress. Stress has some really rough effects on your physical, emotional, and mental health, so it's important to not let it overwhelm you this time of the year. There are several strategies that could help you wind down. I know when you have a million things to do the last thing you think you have time for is a workout, but going for a quick run or heading to a soothing yoga session is a really wonderful way to get out some of your stress, tension, and anxiety, and the endorphins will leave you feeling refreshed and energized. Other ways to blow off some steam could be watching an episode of your current guilty pleasure, taking a nice long shower, or spending time with friends. Do whatever works for you, and most importantly—don't feel guilty about taking a bit of time to do it. Keeping mentally and physically healthy is just as important as acing an exam.
Hell month can be rough, but if you start thinking about it early, you will have a much less stressful and more balanced remainder to the semester. Finish strong and take some time to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!
