The Do’s and Dont’s of Surviving Finals

There is no doubt that finals is a really stressful time.  Here are some helpful tips to help you survive, without going into information overload. 

Good Luck!

DO:  Switch up your study spot.

Just when you think you have had about everything Jazmin’s has to offer, try somewhere new.  Go to Starbucks, Cox, the Bio Library, your room, or anywhere else you can think of.  Changing your location will help you stay focused and keep things at least a little interesting.

DON’T: Go more than 2 nights in a row with less than 5 hours of sleep.

You will be way too tired to actually concentrate on anything, so why do it?  You will end up making up for it with caffeine and sugary junk food, which will only make you feel worse.  So make sure to let yourself get some sleep.   

DO: Start studying now!

You think you have a lot of time, but finals come on pretty fast.  If you get ahead now on flashcards, an essay, or at least make a plan it will help you out so much later.

DON’T: Eat more than one candy, cookie, or whatever else while studying.

It may give you a burst of energy, but in the end it leaves you feeling weighed down and hungry.  Eat fruit or something else that’s healthy instead.  Or just focus on your work and forget about food because you’re probably just bored not hungr.y

DO: Continue to work out.

It can be easy to put exercising aside with so much work, but it will help relieve stress and give you time to clear your head.  And realistically it does not take that much time out of your day.

DON’T: Lose contact with all of your friends.

It can be easy to live in the library during finals but remember after finals is a month long break of not seeing your school friends.  Plus, you willll drive yourself crazy if Facebook is your only contact with the outside world.

DO: Create a study group.

Study groups can be a really helpful way to learn the material.  You have that many more notes/ perspectives to study from.  Also, if you help someone learn an idea it will help reinforce it for you. Added bonus: social interaction in a productive way!

DON’T: Care about what you look like.

When your main plan for the day is studying in the library, shouldn’t you be as comfortable as possible?  People will be coming to the library straight after 8:30 a.m. finals or after pulling all nighters (sidenote: something you should not be doing!).  They won’t be looking their best so you shouldn’t have to either. Throw on those leggings and a big sweater and enjoy the one benefit of finals.

DO: Take some time to relax.

Whether that’s finding a show on Netflix or binge reading buzzfeed, find something that’s an easy study break.  You probably have no classes for at least a few days, and are you really going to study all day everyday? No, but don’t feel bad about it.  Finals are stressful. We need some way to forget about them. Having said that, limit small breaks to 30 minutes or an hour.