Tips for Surviving Finals Week
So as we all know, finals week is coming up in a couple of weeks and if you’re like me, stress is your best friend. However, there are things we can do to limit the amount of stress.
Go to sleep! The worst thing you can do to your body is not get enough rest. I know that as college students, we tend to stay up later than we should when we have a test, but that is not the smart thing to do. Doctors say that in order to remain healthy, the average person should get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Besides, would you rather fall asleep during a test and have limited brain functions because of being tired? I don’t think so.
Manage your time! Cramming for a test is not smart, because typically you will only remember about 15% of the information you crammed into your brain the night before. Plan your study time wisely and make a detailed schedule of what you will study at a particular time during the day. It’s better to make a plan and follow it than trying to fool yourself into thinking you are going to study when you won’t which leads to my next point.
Be disciplined! If you know you need to study for a test, even if its days away, STUDY! Discipline is a skill that only a few college students actually use to help them with their school work. Do not make the mistake of saying “Oh, I’ll just wait until tomorrow, or the next day” NO! Study when you know you need to, otherwise you will find yourself panicking the day before the test because you don’t know any of the information on the test.
Don’t feel guilty about taking breaks. If you’re like me, after a couple hours of constant studying, you need a break or distraction to calm your mind before diving back into the books. That is perfectly okay, as long as your break time of maybe 30 minutes doesn’t turn into 5 hours (I am guilty of this). Make time to either go outside, go to the gym, take a walk or something that you can do for up to an hour that will calm you and help you refocus. Even if you have to watch an episode or two of your favorite Netflix show, that is okay! Just remember to be discipline.
Take a deep breath. It is okay to be nervous about upcoming finals because, let’s just be honest, they are a big deal. Take a deep breath and count to 10. Maybe do some yoga to relax and take your time.
Lastly, believe in yourself! Nothing helps me more than having a positive attitude and mindset towards a difficult challenge. Motivate yourself and pat yourself on the back for making it this far and finish strong! You made it to the end! And once that last final is over, throw your papers in the air, thank God and go have an amazing summer!