By ITTECA KHAN
April 24, 2017
“With the much feared finals week approaching, here are some ways to cry, give up and pull it all together, just in time for summer break.”
1. Accept that you will not sleep, but you will survive.
Let’s be honest here, sleep is going to be rare during this time. You’re best bet is to time 20 minute-1 hour naps right in between your cry/study sessions.
Another helpful tip is to drink coffee or tea, or some sort of caffeine, and take a 30 minute nap, sitting upright and resting your head somewhere. You will feel refreshed when you wake up as the caffeine has kicked in by that point and your body hasn’t gotten completely comfortable to fall into deep sleep- thus preventing grogginess.
2. Eat right.
We all eat trash during finals week: donuts, candy, anything quick, full of carbs, sugar or caffeine.
We’re desperate for that quick fix, easy access to endorphins and for that burst of energy, but don’t do this to yourself.
Eating like this, combined with stress and sleeplessness can lead to light-headedness, shaking, difficulty breathing and crashes in blood sugar levels. Don’t do it.
Do yourself a favor. Meal prep the Sunday of finals week; there are lots of easy and healthy recipes you can find online. You want to have meals full of vegetables, fruits and protein– all stuff that digest slowly and will give you a continuous source of energy.
3. Don’t fall into the Social Media Rabbit Hole.
If you’re anything like me then you definitely check Instagram every five minutes while studying and/or crying during finals week. This is probably the biggest waste of time during your valuable week.
You only have one week to make it or break it so why let superficial Insta posts get in the way of that?
Block social media websites from your phone and laptop and deactivate accounts if you have to. One week of being cut off from the cyber world will not kill you, and if there’s an emergency, your friends can call you.
Add up the amount of time you spend on your phone: 10 hours a day, maybe?
You could spend that time sleeping or studying.
4. Be sure to shake what your mama gave ya: Exercise!
I have to accept that I will not have time to workout during finals week, but deep down I know I can do better and you can too!
Exercise is great for your body, especially during stressful times. The increased blood flow will not only make your brain function better, it will make you feel better also.
Finding time to workout may as well be near impossible during finals but a few creative tricks can work.
Don’t opt for a full workout, find five minute heart rate boosting workouts on Youtube. Just five to ten minutes a day can drastically improve your productivity. Fit it in between study sessions, preferably in the morning to give a boost for the day.
Be sure to stay hydrated also as dehydration will be counterproductive to your cause!
5. Be Pragmatic and Plan Ahead.
There are certain truths you have to accept for the sake of your sanity. There are classes where a little hard work can lead to wonderful grades, but if there’s a class where you have not put the effort in, little can be done to amend that.
Instead of cramming for a STEM class in 2-3 days, focus on what you can tackle instead. You cannot possibly learn the whole course in 48 hours and it’s better to get some sleep and succeed in other areas.
You are an adult and it’s up to you to accept responsibility of your shortcomings in academia. It’s not the end of your academic career and there will always be other chances, but remember to learn from your mistakes.
To prevent cramming and the ensuing mental breakdowns that come along with it, plan ahead.
“Planning ahead” can be a scary term for a lot of people, as it is for me, but it will help significantly. You should be pacing yourself through the semester with studying. Seeing content again only makes it easier.
Leave room for yourself to slack a little bit, because, let’s face it, falling off track is going to happen at some point. Create study schedules that you follow and don’t let social distractions get the best of you.
Finals week- a time of wonder, regret, and sleep deprivation based hallucinations. Go in with a plan, a plan to study, a plan to sleep, a plan to eat and plan to exercise. These are fundamental to your success. But in all this adrenaline fueled motivation, don’t forget your mental health, that is most important.
Grades, although relevant for some future endeavors, are not measures of your intelligence and worth. They don’t validate your intelligence or hard work or passion for knowledge and don’t ever let yourself believe that.
This might sound very impractical- but don’t forget to have fun. Amidst all the crying, stress, and gloom there’s a sense of unity, of excitement and absolute hilarity on campus.
Finals week is when some of the best memes are produced, you laugh through the tears with your friends, stock up on carbs at 1 am in the library and support each other through it all. Summer is so close you can feel it, but you will look back and laugh at the torture that was finals week.
Good Luck and may the curve be with you all!
