Finals Week Tips!

Finals week is quickly approaching! This means late nights in the library, falling asleep in textbooks and lots of caffeine. 

This time of the year is extremely stressful for college students due to final projects and essays being due right around final exam time. With the mile-long to-do list, most students have during the last two weeks of school, it is important to find ways to manage these tasks as well as study effectively. 

Many students have a hard time studying because they were never taught how to or they never needed to study until they got to college.

Here are my top tips to manage the chaos of finals week:

Write it all down:

This might sound like an obvious tip, but it is truly looked over most of the time. When you have tons of tasks floating around in your head, it can become extremely stressful and daunting. Either with a planner or a piece of paper, write down every exam, project or essay. Then write down their due date and what class it is for. This works best on a calendar/ planner because you can visually see where everything is.

Once everything is written out, it is just a matter of going task by task. 

Give yourself breaks: 

Although these last two weeks of school are extremely stressful because so many things need to be accomplished in such a short amount of time, it is crucial that you take a break while studying. If you cram for hours straight, you will most likely end up with information overload and a headache. Set time intervals for mandatory breaks.

An easy way to do this is is for every hour of studying, allow yourself a 10-15 minute break. This can be used to eat a snack to fuel up, clean up your area, take a walk, watch a short video or chat with a friend! 

Find a study group:

You may already have one, but if not, finals is a great time to band together. Having a good group to study with can help you stay on task, and also help you understand areas you are stuck on. 

Alternate tasks:

Instead of sitting down and busting out a 10-page paper in four hours, alternate between tasks due. This can be an easier way to accomplish multiple assignments without getting completely burnt out. Cycling between two to three assignments is a great way to keep yourself engaged. Once you start to get frustrated with something you are studying or massive writer’s block on a paper, switch to another important assignment.

Find a good study area: 

Studying in bed sounds ideal because you are in the most comfortable place possible, but this is generally a bad idea. Let’s be honest, studying in bed often leads to falling asleep. Instead go to the library, a coffee shop or a lounge with tables. This can help you be more productive because there are fewer distractions and less chance of falling asleep.

Have a snack or beverage to fuel you:

Snacks are great because they give you brain power! Caffeine is also a great boost to help get you through hours of studying. Also, stay hydrated and drink some water during long study sessions.