Grace Cavanaugh ~ Staff Writer
Our wonderfully long Thanksgiving break is over and finals are fast approaching. These next two weeks are probably the most stressful of the entire semester, but as someone who has lived through two final weeks so far, I can promise there is light at the end of the tunnel.
While studying for these big tests is great, you cannot forget to relax. It is important to take care of yourself during this time, so here is some advice to ensure that happens.
1 Just because you need to crack open some books, does not mean you have to be studying every minute of every day until the test. Take studying in bits and pieces at a time. For me, I find creating short and simple “cheat sheets” is the best way to study, so all my notes are consolidated on two or three easily-read pages. It is good to take breaks between long periods of studying; watch a short episode of your favorite show, go somewhere with your friends for a little while, or take a nap.
2 Find a fun way to study. Doing it alone and locked in your room can be very boring. Find some friends, find a room with a whiteboard, and write everything all over that whiteboard. Some of the best memories I have of studying for finals were in my dorm floor lounge, where we would sit around and debate about what we thought would be on the test or not. Eventually, it became us quoting Vines and making memes out of our notes, but it helped me relax while also remembering the information.
3 Make up study games. Challenge your friends with these games and have an actual prize for the winner, like a piece of cake or a gift card. Competitions are great ways to remember facts and figures for classes when you are under pressure.
4 Teach one of your friends of a completely different major what you need to know for the final. I find it helpful to teach my roommate, who is an anthropology major, organic chemistry when I need to study. She never needs to take the class or know anything about organic chemistry, but she still is willing to help me sift through lots of pages of math and science to help me out. Now, she knows the pKa’s of various molecules.
5 Meditate, or nap, or use a bath bomb. Listen to some soothing music and read a book. Watch a comedy on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu. Do something that is not related for school, alone, so you can take time for yourself. Self-care is important, especially now.
Following these steps, or just one, will help to keep you from burning out this finals season. Afterwards, we have over a month to recuperate before second semester starts. So, for now, take care of yourself and good luck on your finals!