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With finals week right around the corner, many of us are looking at our workload for the next few weeks and feeling extremely overwhelmed. With the number of tests, papers, projects and presentations piling up in front of us, it usually isn’t that uncommon to predict some kind of inevitable melt down with a side of some ugly crying and too much coffee. It is usually at this point that I seriously consider the stripper and sugar daddy/momma route instead of finishing the work in front of me. However, I have good news, as it turns out, with a little preparation, this kind of melt down might not be as inevitable as you think it is.
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Make THE schedule. Go through every class syllabus you have for this semester and write down every exam, project, paper, etc., that you have due between now and the very end of the semester. Write down the due dates for each assignment and then prioritize. Figure out what needs to be completed first and get that out of the way. From there, figure out which assignments or tests you will need to spend more time completing or prepping for so that you can focus primarily on those with time to spare to study for your other classes.
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Go grocery shopping. This may sound silly, but having food in your house or apartment is important. It means that you will be eating good meals throughout the week to keep your energy up. You should also use this shopping trip to indulge in both some healthy and unhealthy snacks. Healthy snacks, such as low-fat popcorn, for when the stress eating portion of this process hits and unhealthy for those late nights where if you don’t get some chocolate in you ASAP, you might just cry. You should also buy yourself some coffee and tea. Coffee for when you need the energy boost, and tea so that you don’t start vibrating when you’ve had too much coffee but still need a nice hot drink.
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Get out of the house every so often. While the feeling of being sleep deprived is not uncommon in the weeks leading up to and during finals week, so is the feeling of being cooped up for too long. When cabin fever sets in because all you have done for the last week is sit in your apartment and stare at your laptop screen for too long, that can be just as bad as being sleep deprived. Your brain stops functioning and all the information you are attempting to retain is going through one ear and out the other. Your work starts getting sloppy and you are just making it harder on yourself in the future when you have to go back and fix it. Go running, grab a coffee with a friend, even grab a drink or two- just get out long enough to make you feel like you aren’t going stir crazy.
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Sleep. I know many people will say they don’t have the time, but if you make a schedule and plan ahead, you shouldn’t have to completely deprive yourself of sleep. Letting yourself get some shut eye will allow you to be more productive when you do wake up to start another day of prepping for all things finals. Personally, I get emotional when I get too tired, which derails the entire study process anyways. So why waste your time not processing any of your study materials only to break down crying when you can allow yourself to sleep and remain productive?
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Get yourself a study buddy. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel more inclined to do my work when there is a friend sitting across the table doing their own work with me. However, I do not recommend studying with a friend or classmate in your own home. Take it to the library or coffee shop where there are not as many distractions and you can both focus on the task in front of you. Knowing that there is someone else next to you who is sharing your pain can help the process a lot.
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Pick out a television show, movie or spotify soundtrack that you have heard or watched a thousand times and know by heart. Personally, I cannot get anything done without some background noise. If, like me, this is something that you find necessary while working, you need to find a balance. Your background noise can’t be so intriguing that you pay more attention to that than you do your assignment, but it also helps when it is something you enjoy. That’s why I recommend something you know like the back of your hand. You know it well enough that you don’t have to pay too close attention to it, but it’s enjoyable to have playing while you are doing your work.
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Stress is an almost non-negotiable feeling to have in the time leading up to and during finals week. There is no escape from that. However, by following some of these finals week preparation tips, you might just be able to at least avoid the mental breakdown that you are already anticipating. Happy studying!