As finals begin to enter our periphery, you may be wondering how in the world you’re going to stay focused with all you have left to complete by the end of the semester. Here are some ways to keep focused and sane while kicking academic butt!
1. Don’t Give Up on Routine  When you get overloaded with things to work on, it can be hard to keep the routine you’ve established earlier in the year or semester. Keeping a routine will help you to stay on task and focused, even when things are overwhelming.
2. Work It Out  Exercising can help you get out the nervous energy you may feeling as a result of approaching finals. Take a walk around the Loop, head to Tayloe for some weightlifting, or check out the rock wall. Do whatever you can to get moving and get those juices flowing!
3. Make a To Do List  Accomplishing things is a lot more satisfying when you can cross them off a list and see the concrete results of your hard work. This can also help you keep track of things you need to do. And it doesn’t hurt to include things like “have dinner.” Easier items can make you feel like you’re accomplishing a lot when you’re taking care of your basic needs.
4. Study with Friends  If you can manage to keep the chatting to a minimum, studying with friends can be helpful for brainstorming and encouragement. Plus, you can make sure your friend gets on you for completing number 5.
5. Take Breaks  Don’t overwork yourself. If you’re tired, take a break. Your brain won’t function well if you continuously beat it up, just like at the gym. Build breaks into your study time. Maybe you want to take them every half-hour or maybe you prefer a break after you write a paragraph. Just make sure you don’t turn your ten-minute break into an hour-long break.
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Good luck!