According to Urban Dictionary, finals week is defined as, " The worst week of a college or high school students life. Finals week involves pulling an all nighter to reverse the months of slacking that have killed their grades." One of my many good traits is being a total procrastinator during finals week because cleaning my room instead of studying sounds way more interesting. Finals are coming up way too soon, and I'm not ready at all, but I've learned, from my past semesters at Miami Dade College, how to survive it. You could even say I'm almost looking forward to drink lots of coffee and Red Bull. Exams can be terrifying, but just think about how far you've made it and don't give up! The torture will be over soon or at least that's what you think. So in an effort to quell some of your finals fears, here are some tips on how to survive finals week– remember to just mentally prepare yourself and do the best you can.
1. DON'T PANIC
The first thing I tend to do is panic and panic again when my professor hands out the review and I don't remember anything from it. However, please don't panic and just go over the review with a study buddy to help you out! Read some of the notes you took in class– only if you did though – that's why all-nighters exist, right?
2. DON'T BINGE WATCH NETFLIX SHOWS
Leaving Netflix alone during finals week is going to save your life, trust me. I know that watching Freaks and Geeks is way more interesting than studying for your Human Nutrition class. Just remember, the holidays are right around the corner and you'll have plenty of time to binge watch later.
3. DRINK LOTS OF COFFEE (but not too much)
Coffee, along with Red Bull, is going to be your best friend because you probably haven't slept for the past few days. Whatever you do, though, please, don't drink a lot of coladas!
4. SAVE THIS CUTE KITTEN PICTURE
(for motivation) Enough said.
5. MANAGE YOUR TIME WISELY
Managing your time during finals is impossible. I always tell myself "Yeah, I'll take a 30 minute nap and study later," but nope! I highly recommend getting a planner for scheduling and thinking about how much time it'll take you to study for each class. Set aside certain times for checking social media or if you have willpower of steel, just don't check them at all. *Procrastination*
6. TAKE BREAKS
Study for 30 minutes, if you're like me and you simply can't concentrate, and take a 5-minute break in-between sessions. But whatever you do, don't watch Netflix! Instead of watching Netflix try walking around campus or going on a coffee run.
7. EAT HEALTHY SNACKS
Many of my professors – especially my nutrition professor – recommend eating loads of healthy snacks while studying to maintain focus and energy levels. Just some of the healthy snacks you can choose from are baby carrots, grapes, fat free yogurt, smoothies, and nuts – thanks nutrition class for teaching me all of this.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!