Unfortunately for all of us at Loyola, finals are rapidly approaching at a concerning rate. Sure, we get to return home to the comfort of our beds. We get to greet our pets and dump never-ending loads of laundry into our parents’ washing machines (more than they can withstand, I’m sure), but before flights are to be boarded, we have just a few more obligations left to fulfill: taking our exams and turning in our papers.
Prior to finals week, a lot slips through the cracks. We get home from Thanksgiving Break and feel officially checked out, unwilling to study and finish the semester with the same amount of effort we had before.
People want to go out, and your friends going abroad in the Spring might want to spend more time with you than usual. You might find yourself getting Chick Fil A with the last of your WolfBucks and binging “Scandal”, rainchecking a much needed trip to Monroe Library. Or maybe that’s just me.
Anyway, finals season is treacherous, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are five tips I’ve compiled to not only reduce your chances of having an academic freak out, but to also generally make your life easier.
#1. Divide your tasks up early
Since you’ll have copious amounts of studying to do, it’s better to start early and take it day by day. Each day leading up to finals, take the time to assess what schoolwork you need to complete when, in order of priority.
Not to get too meta, but this article was on my to-do list for this past weekend, so that’s when I set aside time to write it. If you have exams right at the beginning of the week, focus on studying for those first.
Don’t put everything off to the point where you have to pull an all-nighter to complete a ginormous amount of studying/assignments. All that’s going to do is bite you in the ass later. Be safe, not sorry.
#2. Go to office hours (with a few caveats)
During finals, office hours can be your best friend. If you need information clarified or some transparency from your professors, it’s the place to go. Struggling with a paper topic, unsure of where you’ll stand after an exam? Pop by office hours and some clear communication may smooth your nerves. However, there is a huge caveat to this. With tough love, if you haven’t been trying the entire semester and decide to go to office hours with the intention of begging, just don’t.
If you haven’t put in any work, there’s no reason for you to expect anything in return to magically save your grade. If you have put in the work, office hours canwill help you a lot.
#3. Get enough sleep
Or don’t. But take care of yourself anyway. “Get eight hours of sleep every night,” blah, blah, blah. In the grand scheme of things, that’s probably the most repeated piece of advice ever, but it still stands–don’t completely disregard it. Now, if you have to cram, you have to cram, but try not to stay up for several hours across the entire duration of finals week.
Try to get as much rest as possible prior to various cram sessions. And if your schedule simply doesn’t allot enough time to get a full eight hours? Take care of your physical & mental well-being in different ways.
Drink enough water, eat proper meals, and caffeinate accordingly. Only pull a Kay Chung method (pulling an all-nighter) if you absolutely need to. Otherwise, try to avoid going into an exam dreary-eyed. Side note: adhering to tip #1 will set you up for success here.
#4. Get in the proper mindset. Stay there.
This can refer to multiple things. First, you need a proper environment to complete your work. If you aren’t the type of person that can get stuff done in your room, don’t study in your room.
Find a place with a more appropriate ambiance. Second, if you feel like you need to get your jitters out, go on walks between study sessions or workout for a bit to clear your head. Third, if you like studying with other people, be mindful of who you choose as company. If you know you can’t get anything done around a specific person, don’t invite them to a library trip.
Make a study playlist, sit down, and get to it. Focus on the outcome, the light at the end of the tunnel.
#5. Trust that everything will be okay.
Finals are scary, but you’ve been here before and will be here again. Know that all of your hard work will inevitably pay off, that you’re getting closer to finally acquiring your degree.
If you’ve done your due diligence all semester and manage your time well, finals will be a breeze. If you struggle with a constant need for academic validation, know that your worth isn’t determined by numerical value.
It’s okay to worry and let stress get the best of you, but be aware that we’re all feeling it right now and you aren’t alone. Take a deep breath. It’ll be over soon.
