Your Guide to Surviving Finals

Coffee

Use coffee as your reward for getting up in the morning. Use it as your reward for going to class. Use some decaf to help you wind down after a long day of studying. And use it as a treat after you finish an exam. You deserve it.

Flashcards

Flashcards are a great way to study dates, important people, and new terms. Color code them to help even more. Use colored cards themselves to categorize different sections or subjects. Keep a stack in your book bag so you can study on the go, the bus, the coffee shop, in between classes.

Friends

Have friends join you for study groups, have them quiz you, and keep them close by for coffee runs. Don’t forget to actually study though!

Switch up locations.

Keep yourself entertained and motivated by not studying in one place. If you always study at home, it’s easy to get distracted by Netflix or your bed. The library and coffee shops are the way to go. By getting out of your home, you are more motivated to get more done in order to get back to your home and you’re cozy bed faster.

Hydration

While coffee is wonderful, it can really dehydrate you. And being dehydrated can make you more tired. Keep a glass of water on your desk at home and carry a reusable water bottle with you to the library. Switch it up with some coconut water or fruit infused water to keep it interesting.

Sleep

Remember that sometimes it’s better to get some solid hours of sleep rather than pull an all-nighter before a test. You’ll remember more of what you studied if you study for a short time and then sleep well then if you study all night and don’t sleep at all. Also, remember that it’s good to sleep in the weeks coming up to exams. Turn the partier inside you off the weekend before exams and turn it back on when they’re done to celebrate! Getting some good sleep for a week before exams can be more wonderful than you’d believe.

Highlighters

Use highlighters to not only show facts and figures that are the most important but use them to characterize and categorize vocab words, dates, important people, etc. Use alternating colors to make your notes visually appealing and draw your eye to the things you are struggling to remember or understand.

Gum

It’s been proven by someone (who I’m not sure) that if you chew the same flavor gum while studying for an exam and then again while you are taking the exam, you remember more of what you studied. For me, chewing gum also gives me something to do that can keep me awake while I’m studying.

Lists

Make lists of the assignments you have. Make a separate list of non-school things you have to accomplish. Combine the two lists with the highest priority on top. Use your highlighters and colored pens to make it look more fun than it is. Keep rewriting your list to show your brain that it’s getting smaller and smaller and to keep things from getting lost in the shuffle of crossing things out aggressively. Make sure you keep eating, drinking water, and exercising on your list as well. Keeping yourself healthy can be pushed to the wayside during exams.

The knowledge that it’ll get done or it won’t.

Those are the only two options. And you’ve always gotten it done in the past. So sometimes you just do your best and then go to sleep because that can be more important than an A. The prioritization of tasks will also help with this. Don’t forget to take deep breaths and maybe meditate a little. Workout to relieve stress and then get back to it. You got this.