When three hours of sleep becomes the norm and student tears flow through campus like rapids, you know finals are coming.
While we finish projects and study for tests, it’s important to stay healthy and take care of ourselves. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, getting a good amount of sleep, eating right and taking breaks while working are all important to ensure you don’t overwork or stress out too much near the end of the semester.
As you’re gearing up, here are some helpful tips to take into consideration:
Use your bed as more than a hamper. It’s easy to let your sleep schedule get off- track when making sure you make deadlines for projects or papers. If you begin to feel drowsy during the day, try to fit a 20-minute power nap into your schedule; it’ll give you some much-needed relaxation time, but not too much that you’ll miss any important deadlines.
Don’t eat Taco Bell 24/7. It’s also pretty easy to rely on fast food during finals, which can lead to poor eating habits. Try your best to get at least one proper meal and several snacks a day — you can even invite your friends to join you (I’m sure they can use the break, too).
Go pet some puppies. You might have a pretty full schedule when it comes to finals week, but maybe you can pencil in a bit of time to do things for yourself, as well. Work out at Markin, hang out with friends, go lay in the sun or anything else you might like doing. This will help you relax and go back to work feeling more refreshed. Just make sure you strike a balance between work and relaxation.
Every superhero has their kryptonite. This is an important one. If you feel as though you aren’t studying enough for a big test or you’ve been struggling to complete a project, ask for help. It’s never a bad idea to get feedback on papers or projects from professors, and your friends can always help you study if they’ve got some free time. If you know people in your classes, don’t hesitate to reach out to them — teamwork makes the dream work.
Find your groove. Do you like studying in complete silence or with music blaring? Outside or indoors? Early in the morning or late at night? Try to make sure you’re in the best environment to be productive. You won’t always be able to work in the perfect spot or time of day, but try to go someplace where you’ll be able to work to the best of your ability.
Keep on truckin’. (Cue Shia LaBeouf’s “JUST DO IT.”) Since it’s the end of the year, it’s easy to slack off a bit due to feeling burnt out from the rest of the year. Try your best to complete each of your assignments and projects to the best of your ability. They might not come out perfect, but turning in something is better than getting a zero.
There are so many other useful tips that you or others might have during this very stressful time of year — don’t hesitate to share them with other students.
