Winter is here and with it comes finals week! The most dreaded week of all those who are enrolled in higher education. Many people crash and burn when it comes to finals week so I decided to share some of my tips and tricks to doing well and staying positive during this trying week.
1. Stay Organized: It can be really easy to not know what to study next or get confused on which final is more important. I find keeping a detailed planner very helpful. First, write the date and time of each of your finals in the appropriate space. Second, plan out the days you will study for each final. If one final is going to be easier than another you can spend less time studying on that one and focus on the ones that are going to be more difficult.
2. Take Breaks: Your brain can only take in so much information at a time. If you are constantly studying and doing nothing else from sun up to sun down it is almost guaranteed that you will crash and burn. Set a timer for yourself for how long you are going to study for (I suggest no more than 1 hour straight). Then allow yourself a 10-15 minute break before you go back to studying. This way your mind will have a few minutes to rest instead of running a marathon.
3. Don't Stress: Find time each day to de-stress. Some of my favorite ways are running, taking a hot shower, actually cooking a meal, writing in my journal, yoga, or simply calling my mom to talk for a bit. It is important to find ways to relax otherwise you are at a high risk of becoming sick after your finals are over. Plus, being stressed can simply make you go crazy!!
4. Get Out of the House: Studying at home can often seem like the most convenient place to study. But it is also the place with the most amount of distractions. Go find a quiet place in the library, your favorite book store, or even coffee shop. It is so much easier to focus when you don't have other people walking in and out or even your bed tempting you to simply crawl in.
5. Sleep: This might sound like an obvious tip but it is also probably the most important. If you stay up all night cramming and only get two or three hours of sleep, you will not do your best on your exam. It is always better to go to bed and wake up a little bit earlier to get a few last minutes of review than pulling an all-nighter. You will have more energy and your mind will retain more information. It is scientifically proven that your brain needs sleep in order to store the things you study each day.
Those are my tips for surviving finals week! I hope this has helped you in some way!
What things do you like to do during finals week?
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