As finals week approaches quickly, I just wanted to remind everyone to breathe. Finals, while important, are not the end of the world. It is an incredibly stressful time of year with presentations, papers and exams, but you can easily keep calm and be prepared with these 8 helpful tips.
- Make a study guide. Whether you make flash cards, a document of important information, or an online study guide, prepare. Know your information somehow! It keeps all of the information more organized and readable this way.
- Take a Break. You may think cramming for hours is helping you, but you need to take breaks. Your brain needs a breather once in a while. Listen to a song, grab a quick snack or a cup of coffee, watch a video, anything to give your brain a minute of relaxation.
- Eat and keep hydrated. When you are busy studying for finals all hours of the day and night, it may be hard to remember to drink water or go eat, but it is important to keep your body nourished. You need that fuel from water and food to keep going for finals week!
- Stay well rested. Again, I know that studying keeps you up all hours of the night and day, but sleeping is important. Your body needs to get a good night’s sleep to function fully for your finals.
- Start studying early. Do not wait until the last minute to start studying. I know that is easier said than done since there are so many other things going on like papers and presentations, but the earlier you start, the easier you make finals week on yourself.
- Silence your phone. This is difficult, especially when we are away from our families and are pining to get done with finals to go see our families, but just silence your phone. Keep the texts, calls, emails and games away from you so you do not get distracted easily and end up having to cram last minute for all of your finals.
- Pick a quiet place to study. This seems like a simple task, but I know friends who love to go study at a coffee shop and end up hating it, because of how busy and noisy it may be. Get your own study room or a classroom on campus, even book one at the Nash Library, to ensure you have your own space and do not need to worry about others disrupting you.
- Use a planner. I cannot stress the importance of this one. As assignments and finals come your way, you feel that you cannot forget about all of these important things that are due. You (most likely than not) are wrong. It happens to the best of us, and we learn the hard way that we cannot remember everything. Buy a planner or get one that the school gives for free and start writing down everything that is due so you do not fall behind.
Hopefully these tips help you stay focused and healthy for this week. May you all pass your finals and get the grades you desired. Have a great holiday. See everyone back on campus in January for more articles and new students in the Greek Spotlight Series!
