my planner on an average week.
Finals can be a crazy time for any student. It’s the 10% of our semester that has the power to indicate our success of the other 90%. But while we are all inundated with tests, papers, and the dreaded group projects, there are some sure-fire ways to stay stress-free during these trying times.
1.) Breathe – the more you let stress become you, the more likely you are to bomb the test. Remember to get a good night’s sleep every night during test week. You need to feel healthy, both physically and mentally, so that you feel up to the challenge of conquering that 8 chapter exam with short answers, instead of feeling like curling up into a ball and crying.
2.) Find relief – For me, no matter how stressed I am, there is only one place where I can shut my brain down and forget about reality: the shower. I could have 4 exams during the course of 3 days, but the second I step foot into the shower and make the water as hot as possible, my mind is off. It’s that 20 minutes that allows my sanity to stay put. Find what it is that allows you to really take a break. Find your own version of a hot shower.
3.) Schedule yourself – The trick to not pulling all-nighters is to plan ahead. Make sure you are setting enough time aside for each test/paper and that during that time you are actually doing the work that you are supposed to be doing. What I do is make a goal of how many hours I want to study for something and then make a plan to do ‘x’ amount of hours each day. Once I’ve completed the hours, I cross them off in my planner as a motivation to keep going. During study time, I also make a study plan before I begin… for example as I was studying the other night I was doing 45 minutes of studying and then 15 minutes of Pinterest (my newest online obsession). Knowing that I was allowed a reasonable amount of time to go online kept me motivated and efficient during the 45 minutes of real work.
Well, hopefully these three tips help bring some piece of mind into your life during finals. Oh also, don’t forget to laugh. Laughing is the best stress-buster you could ever imagine. Find things to make yourself laugh, hell, laugh at yourself, just make sure you are smiling.
I saw this meme online… totally encapsulates the essence of finals week… and will definitely help bring a smile to your face.
Philly Love 