Preparing for finals week

We’ve reached that time of year, it is finals week. Finals week is a jam-packed week of exams, projects, papers and more. For all college students it is a week fueled by coffee and sleep deprivation. We have all been there and it can be so bad for everyone’s mental and physical health. Everyone expects finals week to be a stressed filled panicked week where no one sleeps. It has become campus culture to freak out and make it known that you are freaking out. I’m here to tell you there is a different way that will result in more sleep and less money spent at the library coffee shop. Here are my top three tips to get prepared early for finals week.

Make a list

Finals week is full of so many different reports and exams it is hard to keep track. Before dead week make a list for every day of dead week and what to do. Assign “due dates” for things that need to be completed like papers and projects or set out a certain time to study for exams.

Breaking everything up throughout a week will help keep you organized and make your actual finals week easier. Even studying a few days earlier and consistently can help you do better on your final exam and allow you to keep stress levels down.

Relax

Everyone on campus gets so stressed and worked up about exams. The test can be scary and overwhelming but learning to relax can help you. Getting in your own head and psyching yourself out before an exam helps no one. Taking three deep breaths before an exam and getting in the right mindset helps to set you up for success.

Getting ready the week before can help the relaxation process so you aren’t cramming 16-weeks of information in the night before. Even just looking over a certain subject for 15 minutes every day can help build your memory.

Self-care

Everyone forgets that they need to take care of themselves during finals week. This includes eating, sleeping and activity. Starting with eating, fueling your body correctly will keep you moving throughout the day. Not eating at all can throw your body into starvation mode which can make it hard to focus for long periods of time. Also drink a lot of water, water helps your brain function and maybe water is the key to acing that final.

Sleeping is also really important. Not getting enough sleep can make it hard to focus and simply stay awake. It lowers energy levels and can affect how you retain information. Getting some form of activity throughout the day is important to studying too. It helps keep blood flowing and the brain active. This doesn’t have to be a hard-core workout but just simply a walk around campus or going to get ice cream with a friend. Anything to take you away from your computer for a second and outside in fresh air.

Hopefully these tips can help you stay prepared and a little less stressed throughout the weeks of finals. Best of luck to all college students throughout finals week.