This semester has been no walk in the park for many of us, and with finals right around the corner, stress is at its peak. But many students have been through finals before and have shared some tips and advice for making it through the last week of the semester. Here is a step-by-step guide to finals week:
Step One: Plan Ahead
“Planning ahead and scheduling your workload is essential,” sophomore Ian Wang, a Media Communications major, said. “Whether it’s a test to study for or outlining an essay, make sure you can meet the deadlines! It comes down to a healthy routine.”
Step Two: Avoid Overwhelming Yourself
Mark Wood, a junior double majoring in English and Ancient Languages, said, “Take it one step at a time. Finals are too much for anyone to do at once, so do one study session without worrying about what’s coming next. If your to-do list is overwhelming and you don’t know what to do first, just pick anything and do it. That sense of accomplishment will usually ground you and turn your list from an insurmountable monolith into several discrete, doable tasks.”
Sophomore Business Administration major Grace Gipson agreed. “Don’t overthink it,” she said. “Most of the time, the final exams and projects are worth the same as previous ones throughout the semester. Focus on one at a time and remember to take breaks in between.”
Senior Cooper Boss, studying Media Communications, elaborated by saying professors look forward to grading work as much as we like doing the work.
“So, study as you would for a normal test in the class,” he said. “Unless you’ve been specifically told that the final will cover everything that you’ve learned throughout the entire semester, the test will most often be over just the most recent unit, so don’t stress more than you would for a normal test in the class.”
Step Three: Make Time for Self Care
“Take care of yourself while you study,” sophomore Spanish major Kelly Rohr said. “Don’t pull all-nighters because then you won’t be on your A-game for the exam. I would also say study with friends because it makes it seem less like studying, while you’re still reviewing the content.”
And some final words of wisdom from Junior Lily Kesten, “It’s essential to eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired, & don’t let your hangry self get mad at your friends!”
Let’s finish out the semester strong. Study hard, do your best, but most importantly, take care of yourself.
