Week 9. Week 10. Finals week. Is it just me or is school over already? It’s sunny out, there’s two more weeks of school…it’s practically spring break. If you’re with me on this, you’re thinking wrong. It’s our kind of thinking that is going to make us fail our finals. We’ve worked hard all quarter, we cannot let these final weeks get the best of us! If you’re lacking motivation, if exams are getting the best of you, or if you’re procrastinating on studying by reading this article, then keep reading — these tips are for you.
1. Remind yourself of your goals
There are a lot of negative thoughts toward the end of the quarter. The workload is stressful and having to study a quarter’s worth of material is painful. Ask yourself this: What is it that you are hoping to accomplish? Maybe you want an A in English, maybe you’re trying to get into law school, or maybe your goal is simply just trying to survive another quarter, which is completely fine! By going over your goals, you’re reminding yourself of why you’re studying hard and putting forth so much effort. In the end, this work will be helpful in accomplishing that goal.
2. Stay away from distractions
Turn off your phone, say no to going out, and do not open Netflix. To make it easier, remove yourself from these distractions. Leave your phone in your room and go study at the library. If you know you spend more time talking in study groups than actually studying, try studying by yourself or going to tutoring so you won’t be distracted by your friends. You can also turn off the wifi or temporarily delete some social media applications off of your phone.
3. But also incorporate some distractions…
Healthy ones, though! Which includes your phone, friends, and Netflix. However, not for long periods of time. Try to write out everything that needs to get done that day. After finishing your responsibilities, you can reward yourself by watching an episode of your favorite show or spending a few minutes on social media to see what new things are happening. If you haven’t finished your work but you’re getting overwhelmed, step away from it and come back. Try going to the gym for half an hour, this will help to distract and clear your mind from your work and will help you be healthy as well! After taking that deserved break, you’ll be able to come back and focus on your remaining work.
4. Sleep
The most needed tip. As college students, we tend to put our primary focus on our grades instead of on our health. However, we need our health in order to achieve success. It won’t matter how long you spent studying the night before for that final exam if you’re too tired to wake up the next day for it. Try to incorporate eight hours of sleep into your daily routine. Not only will it help you feel refreshed and ready to continue studying, but your body will thank you.