Finals week can be a difficult time in a college student’s life; sleepless nights spent cramming for tests, stress shooting through the roof, and a lot of pressure to perform. Regardless of how many times you have survived finals week in the past, it always feels like a never-ending affair. However, we want to share some survival tips with you to make this week a little bit more manageable
1. Create an environment conducive to studying. Whether you decide to study at the library, your local coffee house, or your own bed, your study space should be silent, distraction-free, well-lit, comfortable, and have enough space. Have healthy snacks, liquids to drink (caffeinated or not), and an alarm clock (just in case you need a power nap).
2. Develop a proactive study methodology. While one of the most important things you need to figure out is exactly what materials you will be tested on for the final, you will also need to develop a strategy to maximize your studying time. Once you know exactly what you will be tested on, figure out what your professor will most likely place emphasis on and familiarize yourself with that material. Proportion your study time to how difficult the final will be and what material you still need to master – spend more time on the lessons you feel shaky about.
3. Allocate extra time to study. You should be dedicated to studying during finals week if you want to ace your test/paper/project/poster. You certainly will do better if you make extra time for studying and preparing for your academics. US News says that “Even a few strategically placed extra hours can make the difference between doing just OK on finals and doing a really great job.”
4. Have reasonable expectations of yourself. Be realistic regarding how much you can push yourself to study. Make sure to pencil in some time to sleep and take a break in between chapters – your brain needs a break to be able to process all the information you are cramming. One of the keys to being in top mental form is to treat your body well through allowing yourself some time to rest, and nourishing it with healthy food. You should be at your best physically if you want to perform your best mentally!
5. Take advantage of the FIU Cram Jam! Whether you live on campus or plan on moving in to the library cubicles for a while, you want to take advantage of the facilities that FIU provides its students during finals. The Graham Center for example becomes a 24-hour study hall during this week, and there are a variety of relaxation events (including free massages) scheduled for this week.
For more info, visit the CramJam schedule here: http://cramjam.fiu.edu/
6. Keep calm and ace your finals.
