Little kids dread doctor’s appointments. Your parents dread opening bills from the UNF Cashier’s Office. But college students dread a stressful five-day period, also known as finals week.
Seniors, having experienced on average 7 Finals Weeks, seem to be the only group of students who aren’t on the verge of pulling out their hair. Here’s what you should be doing during the weeks leading up to finals, and the week of, to be sure your exams go as smoothly as possible.
Two Weeks Before Finals:
- Meet with your professor to discuss your grade and things that may be on the exam. Ideally, this should be done earlier, but better late than never. Be sure to bring a notebook to jot down information.
- Study guides will be your new BFF. If you haven’t already, figure out whether your professor will be providing a study guide. If not, begin drafting study guides for your classes, paying close attention to concepts you aren’t as familiar with. Include page numbers in your study guides, as well as other things you can reference for better understanding, such as a PowerPoint.
Week Before Finals
- This is the week you should be calculating your grade to see just how detrimental your final exam grade will be to your overall grade in each of your courses. Once you have the minimum score you need, plan your schedule accordingly, making sure to allot more studying time to the exams you need to do better on.
- Gather your crew.You want to determine who is going to be in your study group, (if any), and studying locations this week. Make sure to have several backup locations in mind, as popular areas such as the UNF Library study rooms are always the first to go.
- Finally, go grocery shopping. Every place to eat on campus will be packed, and there’s nothing worse than spending valuable studying time in line at Ozzies just to get a bag of chips. To keep this from happening, stock up on your favorite snacks. You’ll thank yourself later for it.
- But let’s say you forgot to buy snacks last week or pulled an all-nighter that required you to consume everything in your fridge. Not to worry, there are several free food opportunities on campus. Both Student Government, and the Housing and Residence Life Department usually have late night snacks during the week of finals, so be on the lookout for that.
The week of finals:
- Pack your bag. Stuff your back pack with everything you’ll need that week so that you’re never without it. Scantrons, study materials, extra pencils, your laptop charger, and even an energy drink if you feel like you will need it. There’s nothing worse than showing up to your exam without a pencil or the wrong colored scantron.
- Make your study time a no-text-zone. Turn off your phone. Finals week seems to be the time of year where Facebook is the most interesting. Having your phone on will only prolong your studying time. If you’re worried about people reaching you, switch phones with your studying partner so that you’re only allowed to respond to important notifications.
The minute after finals:
BREATHE. While passing a class is important, your sanity is far more important. Always make sure you take a moment to relax, whether that be a five minute of zoning out session or a cat nap.