It’s that time of the year again. The time that everyone dreads for weeks in advance. The time that is spent being up all night, beyond stressed out. Everyone knows this haunting week as one thing only: Finals Week. Nothing is worse than having a huge test in every class you’re taking all crammed into a few short days. Although the week of final exams is awful as you go through it, the relief of being done is one of the best feelings you can have.
To help students keep focused and not too distracted by things in their dorms this week, Florida State’s libraries have extended their hours of operation. The most popular library on campus known as Strozier, or “Club Stroz”, is open Friday April 22nd to Thursday April 28th for all 24 hours in the day. Not that you should be studying all night for your exam, but if a dire emergency happens around 3 a.m., Strozier will be open for you to study in. Dirac library, usually only open until midnight during the week, has also extended their hours for the week of finals, and even the week before. Starting Monday April 18th through Thursday April 21st, and again Monday April 25th to Thursday April 28th, Dirac will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Although finals are probably the most stressful week of the semester, don’t worry about them too much. Here are a few tips on how to survive them:
- The best way to stay awake and focused after long hours in the library? Coffee! Starbucks is open 24/7 in Strozier during finals week to keep you motivated at the library.
- Don’t over study and stress yourself out too much or you might blank when you get to the test. You’ve been in this class all semester, you’ll do fine! Just remember to take study breaks when you need to and stop when you think you know the material well enough.
- Eat a breakfast that won’t make you crash. Just drinking endless cups of coffee to keep you going isn’t going to cut it with the energy. Eat something substantial before your exam, like a bagel or a protein bar, to keep you concentrated during your test.
- Get a study group together if you can. You know that cute guy you’ve been sitting next to all semester? Ask him to study together! By getting a group of people together to study, you’ll be able to concentrate more on studying and can quiz each other on the material you need to know.
- Don’t forget to sleep! Although coffee helps you stay awake and concentrate, drinking it too late won’t help you sleep. Finding out you overslept through your final exam is not the best way to go. Pulling an all-nighter and skipping sleep the night before the test actually inhibits your ability to remember everything you’ve studied. So, even though you were up all night studying, you won’t remember the important points unless you give your body time to sleep and digest all the information.
- Don’t think too much into your answers. If you think you know it, you probably do! Only change your answer last minute if you’re sure it’s right
- Lastly, breathe! Be confident! You’ll do fine with these tips and, once it’s over, it’s summertime!