How To Survive Finals Week
3rd year’s the charm right? Wrong. I’m in my third year at the University of Washington and this coming week is dead week – the week before finals. Luckily/unluckily, all my final presentations, exams, and papers have been scheduled for this week, but it’s Saturday and I’m chugging through … kind of.
Honestly, I don’t think finals get easier. In fact, they get harder as you take upper-division courses with high expectations. I believe we just get better at managing stress. It’s a skill that you develop as you go along college, and being the expert that I am (just kidding, I’m only halfway done), here are the ways that I’ve learned to cope going into finals.
2 - Breaks
Studying for hours on hours isn’t effective, at least for me. I like to give myself mental breaks and set alarms at intervals – usually 1 hour, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 30 minutes, and repeat until I feel fried. Make sure to keep your phone on Do Not Disturb so the buzzing or light-ups from notifications doesn’t distract you. Once you get into that zone, you’ll be surprised at all you can get done!
3 - Self-care
College culture has created a culture that discourages self-care, encouraging late nights, all-nighters, and overly caffeinating yourself. THIS. IS. NOT. HEALTHY. Find things that calm you down and make you feel at peace! Lately, I’ve loved writing – letters to my boyfriend in Marine boot camp, personal letters to myself, blog posts, etc. Working out has helped me a lot, too (even though I know we barely have time during finals/dead week). Running, Pilates, lifting, Yoga, etc. are wonderful ways to feel better! Even just stretching while you watch Netflix!
4 - Discipline
This one is a skill that takes some time to develop. During finals and dead week, find the ability to say “no.” Humans are social beings. You’ll be invited to parties, to dinner, to just hang out, etc. but you need to find a way to politely decline. It’s time to focus on yourself and buckle down! Study groups are still a great way to be around people and learn, especially for us extroverts. Make sure you know the best way you study – alone, in groups, during the day/late afternoon. Work with what’s best for you and not others. This is the discipline for the week! Focus on succeeding and on yourself.
Good luck with finals everyone! You got this. If you’re already done, congratulations! You can finally relax. For everyone still waiting to take their finals, study hard and take care of yourself. It’s almost over and the holidays are just around the corner!
Honestly, I don’t think finals get easier. In fact, they get harder as you take upper-division courses with high expectations. I believe we just get better at managing stress. It’s a skill that you develop as you go along college, and being the expert that I am (just kidding, I’m only halfway done), here are the ways that I’ve learned to cope going into finals.
1 - Schedule
I LOVE drawing in my planner, which yes, is weird, but creating an organized schedule for the week has helped me stay super organized and [somewhat] sane. My planner is the Day Planner with time slots for each day. I like to block out the hours that I’m in class and work, then create my study schedule, workout schedule, and self-care time around the things I have to do.
Also, if you connect your smartphone to a Google Calendar, you can create time blocks online and have reminders for scheduled events sent to your phone 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc. before the event!
I LOVE drawing in my planner, which yes, is weird, but creating an organized schedule for the week has helped me stay super organized and [somewhat] sane. My planner is the Day Planner with time slots for each day. I like to block out the hours that I’m in class and work, then create my study schedule, workout schedule, and self-care time around the things I have to do.
Also, if you connect your smartphone to a Google Calendar, you can create time blocks online and have reminders for scheduled events sent to your phone 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc. before the event!
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| Google Calendar is a great way to stay organized! |
2 - Breaks
Studying for hours on hours isn’t effective, at least for me. I like to give myself mental breaks and set alarms at intervals – usually 1 hour, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 30 minutes, and repeat until I feel fried. Make sure to keep your phone on Do Not Disturb so the buzzing or light-ups from notifications doesn’t distract you. Once you get into that zone, you’ll be surprised at all you can get done!
 |
| Coffee Break! |
3 - Self-care
College culture has created a culture that discourages self-care, encouraging late nights, all-nighters, and overly caffeinating yourself. THIS. IS. NOT. HEALTHY. Find things that calm you down and make you feel at peace! Lately, I’ve loved writing – letters to my boyfriend in Marine boot camp, personal letters to myself, blog posts, etc. Working out has helped me a lot, too (even though I know we barely have time during finals/dead week). Running, Pilates, lifting, Yoga, etc. are wonderful ways to feel better! Even just stretching while you watch Netflix!
 |
| Photo Credit: @genelynjayephotography |
4 - Discipline
This one is a skill that takes some time to develop. During finals and dead week, find the ability to say “no.” Humans are social beings. You’ll be invited to parties, to dinner, to just hang out, etc. but you need to find a way to politely decline. It’s time to focus on yourself and buckle down! Study groups are still a great way to be around people and learn, especially for us extroverts. Make sure you know the best way you study – alone, in groups, during the day/late afternoon. Work with what’s best for you and not others. This is the discipline for the week! Focus on succeeding and on yourself.
Good luck with finals everyone! You got this. If you’re already done, congratulations! You can finally relax. For everyone still waiting to take their finals, study hard and take care of yourself. It’s almost over and the holidays are just around the corner!
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