If you clicked on this article because you are procrastinating at the library and know you need to get to work, I got you. “Finals”, “reading period”, and other college terms all sound scary and too sophisticated at first but really they simply translate to end of year exam (except at the end of each semester), and a time given off of classes to study.
Setting priorities is vital before actually beginning to work. A good way to do that is by looking into the number of tasks (eg: take notes, catch up on reading, etc.) that you need to complete for each class before taking an exam or writing a paper. You know yourself best, so in order to make your list of priorities, you can also try to estimate the amount of time each task will take you to complete.
Once that is done, you can make a study schedule. Using Google Calendar to track the other activities that you have during your day can help you build realistic study sessions. For instance, if you have some time between a class and a club meeting, you can make sure to have the books you need when you leave your dorm before your first activity so you can go directly to the closest library and complete one/more of the tasks that can fit into that block of time you have.
Scheduling breaks is vital even when you have a lot of work to complete. It is ok to also have some time for yourself during finals season. Studies show that spending at least a small amount of time per day doing something you love boosts productivity. Stream the latest episode of the show you are binge-watching, hang out with your friends, go to the gym – it will only do good when done in moderation.
Making sure that you keep open slots to get consistent meals is necessary for you to be able to work efficiently, and that does not mean living off of bagels from the libraries’ cafes. Try to track your food intake in order to make sure you are eating a good variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and carbs. Staying hydrated (especially when you have more than one coffee per day) is also essential for the food that you consume to be well digested and absorbed by your organs.
STOP checking your phone every two seconds! Most of your friends are probably also studying for finals anyway so there’s nothing interesting on there! Set limits on the amount of time you can use each app (through the new setting feature on iPhones) to track the amount of time that you waste watching Instagram stories.
Share how you feel with your friends or family. Although you are probably NOT experiencing the end of the world, it might feel like it because you are so overwhelmed with the amount of work that you have. Talking about it can help in three ways. One, vocalizing your problems can help you realize that they are of a smaller magnitude than you originally thought. Two, having people relate to you can make you feel less alone and in a better position. And finally, three, people you love will give you great advice that will boost your motivation or at least your mood.
Now that you have a good range of tips to have a successful finals season, put your phone away or close this tab on your laptop and get back to work! You’re killing it!