The spookiest Halloween-themed season of the year is probably over if you are reading this but that doesn’t mean the next scariest season isn’t approaching. Finals season = November Nerves. Is that even a thing? As a senior, I’ve been through the many nightmares the month of November brings upon a college student who has been dillydallying all fall semester, and now suddenly there are only 3 weeks of school left, 4 cumulative final exams, and 6 projects due before LDOC. That’s a lot of stress for a college student and sometimes it’s hard to take a step back, take a deep breath, and trust that everything will work out.
During chaotic times like these, we often find it difficult to hold ourselves accountable for prioritizing mental health over getting our crap together. As a senior who has been through at least 5 major final seasons, I feel like I’ve mastered how to keep my mind and body in check during these times. Today I’ll go over ways you can mentally, emotionally, and physically prepare yourself inside and outside school.
Inside School
- Allocate 3-5 days to study per exam
- Yes, studying for an exam the night before might help you remember stuff in terms of short-term memory. But it’s more intrinsically and extrinsically rewarding when you learn the material and store it in your long-term memory. My most successful final exams have been the ones I studied for ahead of time. Split the exam material over 3-5 days, depending on how heavy the material is. Plan to go over everything in short chunks, and when exam eve approaches, run a quick review, shut that laptop, and head to bed. You will be more than prepared and ready to crush it!
- Schedule time to speak with your professor(s)
- Learning isn’t easy. School can get quite confusing and frustrating. Sometimes professors and TAs forget that we’re not experts in Finance or Microbiology and the way they teach us stuff might not be understandable for everyone – and that’s okay! If you are feeling lost or confused about something in class always feel free to reach out to your professors (or TAs) and schedule some time to chat with them to help clarify your doubts. Not only does this benefit you for finals but you can establish a mutual connection that can come in handy in the future!
- Priority LISTS!!
- If there is one thing, I learned from pledging my business fraternity years ago, it was prioritizing the most important tasks over the least. This also means we’re going to eliminate multitasking by 2025… Sometimes it’s easier to do many things at a time creating the illusion that we’re getting everything done all at once. I’ve done this before and honestly; it leaves me feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Write down all the tasks you must complete by the end of the day, week, month even. Rank them in terms of most to least important and begin tackling down your list. By the end, you will have completed everything on time and thoroughly.
Outside School
- Becoming one with nature
- I’m a nature junkie. Not sure if that’s a thing but I’ll claim the copyright for this one. In today’s world, we are so glued to our screens and forget that we exist on this incredible rock filled with air, trees, flowers, leaves, rivers, mountains, sand, etc. The list can go on. Take some time to go out into nature and take a walk, jog for a bit, or ride a bike. Feel the grass with your bare hands, stand barefoot on the road, take a deep breath of oxygen, and appreciate Mother Nature as it is. Nature never fails to calm me down and stop my mind from racing and worrying about all the things we must accomplish as human beings.
- Journal- The Expo-Climax-Conclusion Method
- I journal a lot. Well, not every day – I used to. Now I write if I’m going to crash out (a mental breakdown/lose my mind/go insane). I have a few journaling methods I follow depending on the situation. This one is my favorite because I sort of created it myself. Typically, I use this if I am feeling an immense level of fear or stress about fear itself. Whatever it is that is freaking me out I write about the hypothetical situation that I’ve created in my head and an exposition, climax, and conclusion. I’ll give an example I’ve written about:
- Situation: My biggest fear right now is going back to college and feeling stressed again.Exposition: You will move backClimax: You will feel lonely at times and school is going to feel overwhelming
- Conclusion: Guess what you finished your first class, first day, first week, and now it’s the weekend and you’re feeling better already:)
- I journal a lot. Well, not every day – I used to. Now I write if I’m going to crash out (a mental breakdown/lose my mind/go insane). I have a few journaling methods I follow depending on the situation. This one is my favorite because I sort of created it myself. Typically, I use this if I am feeling an immense level of fear or stress about fear itself. Whatever it is that is freaking me out I write about the hypothetical situation that I’ve created in my head and an exposition, climax, and conclusion. I’ll give an example I’ve written about:
This method forces your brain to imagine the best possible and future outcome of whatever it is you are fearing. It always proves that everything will be fine at the end of the day/week/month or whenever and sometimes we just need to see things from a big-picture perspective. So, whether it’s a huge comp sci code project or calculus final you have coming up write about how relaxed and chill you will be after- because YOU WILL BE.
- Put on the chef’s hate
- For me, cooking is an escape. A distraction. Yes, distractions are good sometimes. Even if it’s just for 30 minutes to an hour take a break and try cooking a new recipe. Cooking is super fun, collecting all the ingredients, pulling the recipe up, and putting all the items together to build a delightful, tasty masterpiece. It’s like putting together a puzzle. Better yet after cooking you just eat! Some of my favorite dishes I’ve created during finals seasons are Crème Brule, smores cookies, red velvet cupcakes and so much more!
I know how hard it can get to pull yourself together during finals seasons. Stress and mental breakdowns are inevitable and these methods aren’t meant to wipe your stress out completely but rather on how to reduce it. Take it from me – I’ve struggled with maintaining my sanity in the past but as I’ve matured and experienced this season more and more I’ve learned it’s all about preparation and punctuality. Don’t worry you’ve got this!