Finals Week Survival Tips

One week left. It’s almost over. Soon the semester will end and most of us will be free to go home or travel and enjoy the winter break. But first, we must survive: Finals Week.

    In the interest of the mental and physical health of all students involved, here are a few bits of advice to help you make it through.

    1. Pace yourself. Don’t burn yourself out studying for every single exam that you have in a twenty-four hour period. Take it one subject at a time.

    2. Take a break. Schedule time to relax from studying. Take half an hour to an hour off and play a game, listen to some music, read a chapter from that one book that you’ve been trying to finish since high school, watch an episode of that show you’ve been dying to catch up on, or something else that you enjoy.

    3. Eat well. We all have our study foods (Twizzlers and Combos, yum), but make sure you eat some real food as well. Vegetables, fruits, protein. Try keeping around some quick and easy snacks: cheese, apples, carrots, pretzels, and nuts are all good snacks to provide some quick energy to keep you going. But make sure that you take some time to eat at least one real, filling meal between studying for and taking your exams.

    4. Bathe. Regularly. Even if you’re so exhausted all you want to do is collapse on your bed and pass out, or you feel like you’re never going to remember everything you need to remember to get a good grade on that final you’ve been studying for all day. Stop. Breathe. Take a shower. Even if all you do is stand under the water, taking a break to shower and wash the day away can re-invigorate you for whatever you still have left to do.

    5. Sleep. Even if you only nap for two hours at a time, that’s better than going into an exam strung-out and exhausted and unable to think straight. Sleep deprivation is as bad as any narcotic, mind-altering substance - including alcohol.

    While your grades may be  important, you are too. Your mental and physical wellbeing is not worth less than passing an exam. So remember to take care of yourself this finals week and enjoy your freedom when it’s all over.