We’ve finally reached the end of the semester, which means we’re about to get time off of school, time to relax and do whatever we want. However, it also means that we now have to deal with finals. Our first inclination may be to do nothing but drink caffeine, eat cookies and pull all-nighters, but we all know in some part of our mind that these are the worst possible things we can do for ourselves. There are a few sensible ways to get through this week. If we have the self-discipline to follow a few simple ideas, we might just make it to winter break.
First of all, be mindful about what you’re putting into your body. This is probably something you should always be doing, but realistically, if you’re a college student, it’s probably not a priority for you. But this week it definitely should be. Make sure you’re eating things that are going to help your brain function to the best of its ability so you can tackle your tests. If, like me, studying makes you snacky, try picking up some healthier cheap snacks to keep in your dorm for when you feel the need for a snack coming on. Or, if you don’t want to spend any money, steal some fruit from the dining hall. When the clock strikes midnight and you’re up to your elbows in class notes, you’re going to want something to help you power through.
You should also make sure that you’re getting enough sleep this week. Yeah, yeah, broken record, I know. But this is when you need it the most. Contrary to popular belief, staying up all night before taking an exam is one of the worst things you can do if you care at all about your grades. It might seem tempting to cram everything, but trust me, it’s a BAD IDEA. Spread out your studying so that you can actually retain some of the information. If you have early finals, go to bed at a reasonable time the night before so your brain will be rested and ready to kick some butt in the morning.
A strategy that might help with this is planning your studying. I’m a planner by nature, so you’d think this would be easy for me, but I have a really hard time sticking to study plans because I just really don’t want to study. Try to plan out when you’re going to study for each final, thinking realistically about how long it’s going to take you. Make sure you split it up, doing a little each day in the week or so before the test so that you don’t have to try to absorb everything at once, and you can review things each time you come back.
When making your plan, try to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re a night person, don’t study at 8 a.m. If you love your bed, or even just your room, plan on going to the library or a coffee shop to study. Mixing up your location can refresh you, anyway.
Finally, balance yourself. Minimize distractions during study time by turning off the ringer on your phone and putting it face down far away from you. Make sure that you’re in an environment conducive to studying and that you can get a lot done. However, you should also take some time for yourself throughout the week. Treat yourself to Starbucks before your early final. Watch one (and I do mean one) episode of your favorite binge-worthy show on Netflix. Hang out with people. Don’t keep yourself in a perpetual state of stress.
Finals are scary, but we don’t have to let them conquer us. We’ve all been equipped with the knowledge of how to handle these situations, and now we just have to handle them. The steps above may be a good place to start, but you know what’s best for you. Most importantly, though, just remember that you’re doing it all for a reason, and that you’ve spent weeks learning everything you need to know. Take a deep breath and remind yourself of how awesome you are. Then walk into class and ace that final like the amazing genius you are.
