Somehow, it’s already mid-November, which means we’re a month or so away from finals… which is a scary thought. Finals can be a daunting time full of anxiety and non-stop studying, especially for freshmen. As a first-semester senior, I’ve clearly been through my fair share of finals. From projects to tests to essays, it IS possible to survive finals, and to do it all without pulling all-nighters and going crazy. (Fun fact: I’ve never pulled an all-nighter for school-related reasons in college.) Here are some helpful tips to get through a successful finals period!
1. Set aside time for yourself each day
The more you study, the more stressed you may get. But it’s really important to set time for yourself each day of study/finals period. Whether that means 30 minutes at the gym or going to see a movie with some friends, you need a break from studying… otherwise you may go insane. Sophomore year my roommates and I tried to coordinate a fun activity for each day during finals period. One night we went out to dinner in Cambridge, another night we went ice skating at the Frog Pond at the Boston Commons, and we did some other fun activities. It helped us take our minds off finals for a bit and definitely de-stressed us.
2. Make a schedule of studying
This is definitely helpful if you have more than one final. Lay out what time you’ll wake up, how much you’ll work on each assignment, when you’ll eat, when you’ll take personal time, etc. Obviously this doesn’t need to be a strict schedule but just a general idea of when you’ll work on what assignment. Last semester I had two 10-page papers and a final, and I mapped out when I would write which paper and study, and it really helped me get my work done efficiently and not have to pull all-nighters, which takes me to my next point…
3. Do not pull all-nighters
If you can avoid this throughout college, definitely do so. But of all times to avoid it, I would say finals period is the most important time to avoid it. Pulling all-nighters messes up your sleep schedule, which will make you cranky and irritable and make you want to sleep throughout the day and not want to study. It sounds silly that sleep will mess you up this much, but it’s true. Time management is key during this stressful time, and it will really help you avoid staying up all night to study or work on projects. Like I said, I’ve never pulled an all-nighter for school and I don’t plan on doing so before I graduate – being on a regular sleep schedule allows me to perform scholastically to the best of my ability, and that’s usually how it works for everyone!
4. Keep meeting with your teachers
Just because classes are finished doesn’t mean your teachers no longer exist until you submit your paper or sit down for your test. Your teachers are still accessible throughout study period and teachers or TAs might have review sessions to help you out. In those cases, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of that. Not only will your professor and/or Ta see that you’re taking initiative one last time, but you could get some really great tips for the final, which usually winds up counting for a larger percentage of your grade than anything else you’ve done in the class.
5. Use “SelfControl”
Use your own self control by using “SelfControl,” an app you can download online that blocks off any program or website on your computer for a certain amount of time. This is pretty much the only way I can get my work done when I’m using my computer, otherwise I’ll wind up straying onto BuzzFeed for hours or Facebook messaging my friends. If you’re like me and you get distracted easily, this is really the app for you. You can set it anywhere from 15 minutes to 5 hours, so the option is yours!
Hopefully these helps will lead you to a sane and somewhat relaxing finals period! Hope you all ace your finals, and enjoy the holidays!
