No matter if you are a total book worm or a serial class-skipper, all college students get stressed about finals! Sometimes you need to ace that test to boost your GPA, and sometimes you need to do well to simply pass the class. There have been lots of tips and tricks shared about how to prepare for and make finals week a little easier. Take it from a junior who is approaching her sixth ever finals week, these are some of the tips I learned along the way that really do make life a lot easier during exams. Try these out, and try not to stress too much. There are only two more weeks until summer (not that anyone is counting!).
Plan out your days.
You would be surprised how much preparation can help make finals week easier. Planning out your days will make you feel so much better since you know you will have enough time to get everything done. Decide which days you are going to study for which subjects and write them down in a planner or calendar. It makes me a lot less stressed out if I know that on Tuesday night from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. I'm going to focus on my math final, and Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m. I'll cover my writing class. If you know ahead of time that you have blocked out and designated study times for every area you need to cover, there is no reason to stress! This will keep you so much more organized and make sure you don't forget anything.
Know which study space is best for you.
Most people know which study spaces and environments work for them and which don't. I know I enjoy studying with a group of friends in the main room of the library, but honestly, I get more done alone in a cubby on the third floor. Although studying with friends can take stress off, make sure you know what works for you and make sure to have a handful of study sessions alone so you can focus on getting a chunk of your work done. For example, if you don't feel like walking to the library, but you know your roommates will distract you from studying, just take the extra 10 minutes to get there, because it would save you a lot more time overall.
Start your study guides/get your final papers out of the way.
Most professors post their study guides and final paper requirements online ahead of time and way before finals week. Start preparing now so that you have less to worry about during exams. If you know you can bang out a final paper this Sunday, do it! That way there is one less thing for you to do in a couple weeks. Plus if you work on writing up your study guides now, you can simply focus on studying them during finals.
Take one thing at a time.
Don't start flip-flopping between assignments and subjects every 20 minutes. It'll cause more stress and anxiety because it will feel like you have so much more to do. Focus on one subject at a time, and move on when you feel comfortable with the material. It is okay to take a break from one subject and study another, but try and only do that every two or so hours instead of every 20-30 minutes. You will have time to study it all, so don't stress yourself out by going back and forth! Plus, it will feel great to actually cross things off your to-do list rather than having to go back to each subject more than once!
Take advantage of reading days.
Some people hear “reading days; no class, no exams" and think “sleeping in and Netflix." TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE DAYS. They are there for you to prepare for what is to come. Two whole days of preparation and studying will help so much when exams finally start. You will be surprised how much you can get done when studying is your only responsibility, and you will be so happy when these couple days are over and realize how much more prepared you are than if you didn't take advantage of these days.
Wake up early.
It is so much easier to get things done during the day when the sun is still out and you feel like you have the whole day ahead of you. Starting to study at 3 p.m. is just going to make you more exhausted if you have to stay at the library till 1 a.m. Getting to the library early means you have your pick when it comes to where to sit (meaning the comfiest chairs and the largest selection of outlets), and it also means you can be out of there by dinner time. Also if you don't start studying until the late afternoon you are going to be stressed the whole morning anyway thinking about how much you have to do later on. It's best to get the worst of it over with so you have some time to relax and get a good night's sleep in before your exam.
Treat yourself.
Treat yourself after every exam or after you hand in a final assignment! Finals week is the toughest week of the semester and giving yourself little rewards along the way will help you get through it. Finished your chem final? Go grab a milkshake! Or take a nap! Giving yourself something to look forward to, even if it simply means junk food or two hours of Netflix, will motivate you to get through those tough moments.
Remember it will all be worth it.
Just keep reminding yourself that summer is only a couple weeks away. When you're catching up on sleep and eating your mom's home-cooked meals again, you will want to know that even though finals week was dreadful and exhausting, you still have those good grades and awesome GPA to reflect on. It is so worth studying for seven straight days when you know there is an ending. If you have the urge to go out with friends instead of studying for your 8 a.m. final tomorrow, just think “summer, friends, naps, beaches, parties in just a few more days." You're going to be tired and a little stressed either way, so you might as well work your butt off and be able to say you got that A. That way you can enjoy your summer and truly be proud of your grades this semester!
