Finals are right around the corner, along with the end of the semester and the blessing that is winter break. There are just a couple of cumulative exams, papers, and presentations between you and four weeks of no classes and the holiday season. All the work ahead of you might feel like an insurmountable task, but I promise you, you can handle anything. Here are a few tips to help you survive Finals Week:
1. Organize your work in small increments.
Doing all of your work at once— like trying to write that 8 page research paper in one night— is really hard. It also doesn’t lead to good grades half the time. Give yourself some time to draft out your ideas and to give that first draft a once over. This is harder than it sounds with all the other work you have, but I promise, it turns your mountain of work into manageable pieces. This way, you can give more thought and focus to each individual assignment with less panic!
2. Utilize study groups.Â
Your classmates can be great help! If you’re stuck, send an email through Blackboard to your class and see if anyone would want to get together for a quick study group. That way, you can go over questions together and talk about the answers— if you happen to not know something, someone else might! Working together also breaks up the amount of work you have, and you can always go and grab a coffee from Starbucks in the SUB (or Pomodoro’s, if it’s after 6 o’clock!)
3. Find a great study space.Â
With the library under renovations and being constantly crowded because of it, you might think there aren’t enough study spaces on campus, but fear not! The Lecture Center’s computer labs will be open the same hours as the library; SUB 100 will be turned into a quiet study space; and there’s always the late night study room at the College Terrace. If it’s free, there’s also the Hawk’s Nest in the student union, giving you a great view through the glass Atrium and proximity to the Starbucks, which is just downstairs! Finding study space gets you out of your dorm, away from your desk, and away from any possible noisy roommates, giving you some peace and quiet to get your mind in gear!
4. Take a break.
Close the textbook or Word doc, shut your computer and turn off the desk lamp. Give your eyes, body, and mind a break by getting up and walking around, doing a few stretches, and getting yourself away from your desk for a little while. Have a dance party, drink your favorite cup of tea, and watch an episode of your favorite TV show. Studying is important and so are your grades, but taking a break is more conducive to remembering the material than cramming it all at once. Giving your mind a rest (and giving yourself a little reward!) can help you do better on your exams.
5. Remember that your grades do not define you.
If you’re worried about studying really hard for a test and then failing it, or not getting the grade you wanted, remember: You are not defined by the letter or number that appears at the top of your exam. The assignments you get are important and meaningful, but getting a bad grade does not mean you failed at life, or failed at being a person, or failed your studies overall. Bad grades happen to everyone, and you will pick yourself up and go on with your academic career. Finals aren’t the end all, be all of your grades. You have an entire semester behind you, and that will help catch you should you fail or do badly during finals week.