As the semester draws to a close, there’s one lurking factor on everyone’s minds: finals. They always sneak up out of nowhere and nobody ever remembers how bad April truly is. Professors stack group projects on top of essays on top of tests and expect you to devote all of your time and attention to their class specifically. Spring semester has a way of being exponentially worse than the fall, but if there is one brilliant lady who could always handle the stress – it’s Hermione Granger. Here are a few ways to channel your inner Hermione to get through the worst month of the school year:
1. Accept the fact that you’re going to have to spend more time doing work than doing anything that remotely resembles seeing friends or having fun.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to. Make sure that you utilize office hours to their fullest extent, and don’t stop until you have a firm grasp on all of the course material that you’re responsible for.
3. Sometimes, high stress situations can lead people to compromise their morals – don’t follow suit. Hermione Granger would never stoop to that level, so neither should you! You’re worth more than that.
4. Just know that nobody wants to see you succeed more than your peers. Everyone in your class for your group presentation has to get up and do the same thing. Sometimes, you need to have a little faith in those around you and in yourself as well.
5. Be proud of the work that you accomplish. Not everything can be ‘A’ material, but as long as you give it your best effort, you only have reason to be happy.
6. Finals week is not the end of the world. There are more important things than sacrificing your livelihood for the sake of a good grade. There will be more classes next semester and the semester after that, if your GPA takes a hit – you’ll be ok. Remember the important things.
7. At the end of it all, you get a long vacation from academia. This final push will be over before you know it. Soon you’ll be able to relax poolside for a bit, before starting all over again next semester.
And just remember…
…and so are you.