With final exams right around the corner, I wanted to share some tips with you all to help you be successful while managing stress…
Hi everyone, I hope you’re having a great day! Finals are right around the corner, which means endless hours of studying and endless amounts of stress! I’ve already had my fair share of final projects, papers, and exams, and I have even more coming up within these final two weeks! I wanted to share a few study tips with you all, and I tied in a few ways to manage stress as well. I also wanted to add a few inspirational quotes at the end to help us all stay positive and level headed during this crazy time!
- Create a Study Guide/Schedule I like to write out a study guide about a week before my exam! This really helps me learn and retain the information in advance, and I can study from it periodically before my exam! Plus it makes that last minute cramming session a lot easier, because you can focus on specific points that were more difficult instead of trying to learn every single thing in the matter of an hour! I also like to create a schedule for myself, where I set specific times of the day just for studying! Personally, I’m a lot more likely to accomplish things if I have a specific time and day set for them, and you can always give yourself more or less time depending on how prepared you are!
- Study in Sections Study for 30-40 minutes at a time, and take short breaks in between! There’s no use in studying for hours on end if you aren’t retaining information. Studying for shorter time intervals and re-looking at it after 15-20 minutes will help you store the information a lot better!
- Write it Down I really find the act of re-writing notes to be so beneficial when it comes to studying! I usually take notes on my MacBook Pro, and then I re-write all of my notes into a notebook and I color code the sections! This way you’re looking at the material again, and even the simple act of re-writing will really help you retain that information!
- Avoid Distraction This is so incredibly important when it comes to studying! When I study I put my phone face down, and I sit in a quiet room. No TV, no music, no distractions! I really enjoy studying when there isn’t any other noise, because I can really focus and immerse myself in the material. I highly recommend studying without listening to music or watching TV, and definitely put your phone face down or somewhere where you won’t be distracted by it!
- Study in Advance This goes back to my point, creating a study guide/schedule. Cramming causes so much stress and anxiety, and you really won’t retain and learn as much information that way. Breaking up the material throughout the week in advance will be a lot less stressful and a lot more beneficial!
- Treat Yourself Finals are tough, but don’t overwhelm yourself! You deserve breaks and rewards, and you should hold yourself to them! Treat yourself to a binge session on Netflix if you’ve been studying like crazy, or get outside and go workout! There’s literally nothing I love more than treating myself to sushi, Friends, and online shopping after finishing an exam! Use it as motivation to get yourself to study, because the reward is so much greater after hard work!
- SLEEP This is by far the most important point of them all! Sleep is so incredibly important, especially when it comes to finals week! What you learn throughout the day is stored in your memory when you sleep, so pulling an all-nighter to cram is not the best option. If you don’t get enough sleep, your focus will decrease and you aren’t going to remember what you studied as easily. Let yourself rest!
- Stay Hydrated & Well Nourished Coffee and ice water are going to be your best friends during finals week! Drinking ice water, especially in the morning, is going to help wake you up and hydrate your body! Ice water is super refreshing, and it will help refresh your mind and make you feel good! I love water, and I really enjoy infusing some lemon and mint for an extra pick me up! Also with long days of studying comes the need for coffee! Coffee is definitely going to help you feel more energized and alert, and it’s going to help you focus! And please, please, please make sure you’re eating well! Your body is going to become lethargic if you aren’t eating properly, so try to avoid heavy foods that are going to make you feel tired and lazy!
Good luck, you’ve got this!
xo, Tessa
