Finals are extremely stressful. There’s no sense in denying it. You suddenly have to recall all of the information that you’ve learned since August, and you have to be able to predict which parts of that information will appear in front of you come test time, and which of the parts you can skim over. Finals are a prime time for breakdowns, where stress causes us to cry, or lash out, or act irrationally. Cramming and tiredness are unpreventable, but with some coping strategies, the meltdowns can be kept at a minimum! Here are my strategies for surviving studying for finals:
1) Make a to do list
Having a plan takes so much of the stress out of studying for finals. Determine the tools you have to study (textbook, notes, online videos, practice problems) and which ones would be beneficial to you in studying. Then map out when you’ll use each one, and when you’ll look over each topic. Map out small, concrete goals so you know how to accomplish each one, and know where to start each time you go to study.
2) Cross things off of your to do list
As you finish a chapter or finish studying a certain topic, cross it off! Taking a black marker and making a big “X” over what you’ve accomplished will show you what you’ve done, and will make you feel like you are closer to the goal of being prepared to take the exam. Put a slash through it, you deserve it!
3) Ease into studying
The first problem to tackle is not the one that you couldn’t get all semester. If you have to review everything from the course, start with topics you had a good grasp on to begin with and quickly refresh your memory. Then build up to the harder stuff once the subject matter is already in your mind and you’re in the (insert course name here) zone.
4) Take a break from studying for dinner
It may feel like you can’t stop studying for a single second or you’re going to fail the exam. But your brain needs breaks to retain all of the information you’re attempting to cram inside of it. So when dinnertime rolls around, take a break and go eat with your friends. Talk about things other than finals and use this as your time to de-stress, and also a time to gather more energy for the final stretch of the night.
5) Paint nails
Simple movements that don’t require thinking can be very calming. Painting your nails is a good example (it’s also a good one for nail-biters because it will prevent you from biting as the stress rises!). You can paint them while you play some calming music. Or, if you want to feel like you’re being productive, you can paint them while you review content. I would recommend something you can listen to so you’re not trying to look from your nails to a paper. Try crash course YouTube videos which review main concepts for a wide variety of subjects, or listen to lectures from your professor if he or she posts them online. Repetition is also good for the brain, so listening to something again can never hurt you!
6) Call mom
The woman who always had everything under control can definitely bring you back to reality. Take some time to call your mom if you’re getting really stressed, and let her tell you that you’ll get through it, and that she believes in you. Sometimes just hearing her voice will calm you down, so any way to get some familiarity from home before getting back to the books can help you out!
7) Listen to Christmas music
How am I supposed to get through finals week? By keeping in mind that Christmas is right around the corner! Use the holidays and your long break coming up as motivation to push through your studying. Play some Christmas music (use an instrumental Christmas playlist if the words will distract you), or drink some hot chocolate (chocolate has caffeine, don’t worry!) while studying to remember what’s motivating you to stay up until 3am. Soon enough, if you and your family celebrate it, you’ll be opening presents with your family at home on Christmas morning. Yeah, that’ll be worth it.
8) Ryan Gosling
And if all else fails, the Internet is always a powerful distractor. Personally, I’ve been a Pinterest addict for a while and I really like the Ryan Gosling memes for motivation. Ryan believes in you. And besides, is Ryan ever bad to look at?