Surviving Finals!: Home

10 Tips for Surviving Finals!

1. Stay Active

Research shows that exercise is an effective way to manage stress. Taking a short break to get your heart pumping could help let off some steam and help you refocus. A little can go a long way, so keep it under 15 minutes!

2. Eat Healthy

It's tempting to live off energy drinks, pizza, and junk food during finals week, but your brain needs the right fuel to function properly. Eating healthy, plant-based foods can help increase concentration and improve retention. 

3. Get those Zzzz's

Cramming is one of the least effective ways to study, and pulling an all-nighter can set you up for failure. Getting a good nights sleep is vital to success! Research suggests that sleep helps with the consolidation of memory, which is especially important while studying for those finals. 

4. Take a Brain Break

It has been suggested that studying for one hour in short 20 minutes sessions, with 5 minute breaks in between, can be more effective than studying for one hour straight. During these short breaks you can exercise, grab some "brain-food", or just sit back and close your eyes for a few minutes. 

5. Choose Your Location Wisely

Location, location, location! A quite, peaceful, well-organized environment can prevent distractions and help your concentration. 

6. Be Careful with Your Time

This is not the time for starting a new Netflix series, checking your social medias, or long FaceTime conversations! Save all that for the I-survived-finals celebration. It's okay to be stingy with your social time during finals; there's never enough of it, and you can't get it back if you waste it.

7. Prioritize

It's easy to overlook assignments or important areas you should be studying if you don't have a plan. Try making a list of the assignments you need to complete and the areas you need to study. Then arrange this list with most important/time-consuming items at the top. 

8. Reach Out for Help

One of the biggest mistakes you can make during finals is not asking for help if you have a question. Reach out to friends, family, classmates, professors, librarians, peer research assistants, tutors, etc... We are all here to help and we want to see you succeed!

9. Study with a Group

A study group can be an effective way to prepare for exams, but choose wisely! Members of a successful study group should come prepared to participate, communicate respectfully, share notes & ideas, and be familiar with the material. Teamwork makes the Dream work!

10. Double-Check Exam Times!!

As silly as this may sound, keep in mind that there are no make-ups for final exams. If you missed it, that's it, you missed it, and in some cases you must take the final to pass the class. Write them on the fridge, set reminders in your phone, whatever you have to do to be sure you are there on time. Don't let all that hard work you did this semester go to waste!