How to Survive the Weeks Leading up to Final Exams

Everyone knows how terrifying finals week is. The pressure of approaching exams, projects and deadlines is enough to send even a sane person into a downward spiral. Most students fail to take advantage of the weeks right before finals. Utilizing this time can be crucial to create less stress during finals week. It is important to take advantage of the time leading up finals. Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your time before finals:

Plan Study Sessions

Once finals roll around, good luck finding even a seat at the TECH Center, let alone a breakout room. You can book a breakout room at the TECH Center a week in advance. Get a group of your classmates and plan a study session in advance.

Sleep

Catch some Z’s while you can over Thanksgiving break. Stock up on sleep now because you will not be doing much of that in the upcoming weeks.

Keep Up With Assignments

It is easy to just let go and not care during this time period. However, this is the most important time to get your grades together because there are only a few weeks left in the semester. If you do not ace your final, at least make sure you are doing well on your assignments.

Get Started on Final Projects Now

You might be lucky and have a class or two that does not have a final exam, but you might have a final paper or project due on the last week of classes. Professors usually give an advanced notice regarding this, so do not procrastinate and get started immediately. You might even find out you don’t have a final exam on the first day of class. It would be beneficial to finish these projects and papers in advance, so you can study for your actual finals during study days.

Find a good study space

Avoid studying in your bed or dorm room. You are likely to lose focus and get distracted. Find a good seat in the Tuttleman Learning Center or a quiet corner at the TECH Center.

 

Try not to be too hard on yourself if you notice yourself losing focus. Taking breaks is an essential part of studying ― just make sure you get back to work. The best you can do is try your hardest. At the end of the day, the most important thing is your mental health and well-being.