It’s that time of year again, the not-so-wonderful part of the holiday season: finals. We’ve spent the past three months dreading what is about to happen, and for good reason. Final exams are horrible and stressful. Here are five ways to keep your cool and make sure this finals week is as calm as possible.
Know Your Study Habits
If you know that study group environments distract you, don’t join one! Conversely, if you aren’t productive sitting in a silent environment, bring some headphones to your study space. As much as it may pain you, putting your phone away will most likely benefit the efficiency of your study time. Out of sight, out of mind. Once you figure out what study strategies work for you, make sure you actually study.
Treat Yo’ Self
Don’t get me wrong, studying is very important, especially for finals. But you gotta reward yourself for all that hard work! You deserve that Starbucks study break. Have a piece of dark chocolate to bump up that studying morale. Take 10 minutes every so often and scroll through social media. Pause for a quick episode on Netflix (but be careful not to get sucked in!). Basically, spending every minute of the day studying is unhealthy, so make sure you treat yourself every so often during your next study sesh.
Seek Support
If you’re struggling, make the effort to get the grade. Talk to your professors. I’m talking email, office hours, extra review sessions. They are there for the same reason you are: ensuring your academic success. Take initiative and look for more sources to help you: YouTube videos can be a godsend. And if the stress is really getting you down, call your mom, your dad, your best friend from home, whoever calms you down when your stress levels reach DEFCON 5. There are people here to support you! Don’t be afraid to reach out.
Health
One of the most important things to consider during finals is maintaining your health. Cramming all the information you need into your brain the night before an exam is not helpful in any way, mostly because your brain needs sleep to function. Also, fuel up with some brain food. I know I said to treat your self, but nutritious options should make up most of your finals week diet. Whole grains, fish, blueberries, carrots, nuts, kale, and avocados are all delicious choices that will boost brain power. And good news: dark chocolate and coffee are also considered brain food!
Find Your Zen
Make time to do things that make your heart happy. Some people need an emergency dance party to get out their energy. Exercising is also a great option because it releases endorphins that make you happy (paging Elle Woods). Whatever that activity is for you – knitting, meditation, listening to music, coloring – deliberately schedule time into your day to do it. This is so good for your mental health, especially during stressful times like finals week.
Happy studying Zags! Good luck on exams, and may the curve be ever in your favor.