Tips For Surviving Finals Week

It’s almost that time of the year.  The one filled with the bright light of computer screens, late night snacks, and virtually no sleep.  You all know what I’m talking about. That’s right, it’s almost finals week, which means the forecast for sleep deprived, stressed out students is near 100%!  But just because the headlights of finals week are rapidly approaching, doesn’t mean you need to be a helpless deer, waiting to be run over by life.  In fact, there are tools at your disposal that you can use to successfully manage the daunting week in front of you.  

Here are our tips for surviving finals week, accumulated with personal experience during our four years at university.  

1. Study smart

Don’t study longer, study smarter.  I’m definitely guilty of spending more than 50% of my time surfing the web, liking posts on facebook, and looking up random facts about cheese when I'm “studying” and then complaining to my friends the next day that I worked so hard by pulling an all nighter and “studying” for 14 hours straight.  Yes, I’m looking at you.  Have a trusted friend change your facebook and instagram password so you can’t log in until after finals.  You'll be able to better focus on your work. Also, work at a desk with adequate lighting and minimal distractions to improve productivity in order to study smarter not longer.  

2. Take frequent breaks

The optimal study to break ratio is generally considered to be around 50 minutes of studying to 10 minutes of break.  However, our productivity ratios are all different so tinker around with this formula to find your magic ratio.  Have a list of “happy places” that you can refer back to during your breaks.  These can include things like taking a walk around the library, watching a hilarious youtube video, or looking up sloth pictures.  Make sure to have these lists prior to studying so you can maximize your breaks.  

3. Sleep at least a few hours

The benefits of sleep are well touted and known in improving mental clarity and memory.  You’ll feel great and think great too.  However, if you don’t know the material, ain’t no amount of sleep ever going to help you get that A.  If you feel confident that you know the material, by all means get your daily 8 hours.  But if you absolutely feel you must cram until the last minute because you simply don’t know the material, try to get at least a few hours of sleep (my magic number during finals week is around 3), in order to process what you’ve been studying.  I’ve never done well by cramming all night until I take the test; however, I’ve done great by cramming all night and getting at least 2-3 hours of sleep.   So do yourself a favor this finals week and make sure to get some sleep.  Your grades and brain will thank you.

4.  Eat healthy

Eating healthy is great for your body and your mind.  Brain foods such as apples with a tablespoon of almond butter or hummus and carrots will not only keep your appetite satisfied, but will also keep you feeling good instead of sluggish and will help with studying more efficiently.  

5. Exercise

Even if it’s just a brisk walk around the library or a full-on intense insanity session, make sure to incorporate some form of exercise.  Numerous studies have proven the health benefits of exercise which include but are not limited to, reducing stress and the effects of stress on the body, improving learning, and boosting mood levels.

6. Don’t give up

For some reason finals week always casts a dark grey shadow on our lives.  It gives us a feeling we might expect to have during a zombie apocalypse.  This week gives rise to high anxiety, sleepless nights, and us questioning our very self purpose.  But just know that it’ll end.  In just a week, finals will be over and life will be great again.  So during this week, study smart, eat and be healthy, and do your very best.  You are capable of achieving great things.  

So those are our tips for successfully surviving finals week.  What are some of your tips?  Comment below!