Let's face it: unless you adore juggling multiple, separate, often grade-defining assignments in a short period of time, finals week is brutal. Even as someone who often enjoys writing essays, I always find myself unreasonably stressed out. My finals have varied wildly throughout semesters, so it does seem like there鈥檚 always at least one new thing to adjust to. Last spring, I wrote my first twenty-page paper, but I can vividly recall when a ten-page paper in my freshman year felt like a dissertation. I write this post from my dorm room, my roommate studying for her own finals on the floor beside me and my Japanese history notes scattered across the desk. If I was speaking honestly, I would say I鈥檓 writing this blog post to procrastinate some of my studying. But if I were telling you what I鈥檇 like to believe, then I would say I鈥檓 writing this blog post as a much-needed break from all those hours of studying.
In all seriousness, while I still can fall into old procrastination habits sometimes, I have found ways to improve my study habits and work ethic when it comes to finals season. So, if you鈥檙e like me and you want to lock in but you can get easily distracted or burned out from studying, here are a few things that I personally find helpful!
1. Spread It Out and Break It Up!
The easiest way to immediately drain yourself of all your energy and brainpower is to sit and stare at the same thing for a long period of time. You鈥檒l reach a particularly vicious combination of (somehow) both exhaustion and restlessness. Your mom is usually right: you will get a headache if you stare at the computer for too long. If you鈥檝e been working on one assignment for hours and can feel yourself losing focus and patience, it鈥檚 probably time to switch to something else. This is simple and classic advice that everyone has heard a million times. And it鈥檚 cliche for a reason, it鈥檚 true. I鈥檝e found myself to be much more productive when I set smaller goals for each assignment.
Write an outline for the History paper.
Gather quotes from the novel for the English paper.
Complete the first three pages of the study guide.
Switching between assignments greatly helps me maintain a steady pace while also making progress on each of them. Having small, achievable goals that I鈥檓 able to consistently fulfill creates a solid trajectory of accomplishment: I keep going if I feel like I鈥檓 actually getting things done.
2. TAKE Breaks
I mean it.
鈥淣o, I need to be up till 5:00 AM studying for this exam or else I鈥檒l be wasting critical time sleeping鈥︹ Shhhhhh. Shhh. My point from above still stands: you will drive yourself crazy if you don鈥檛 have any variety. I never felt super confident scheduling breaks because I didn鈥檛 know when I 鈥渄eserved鈥 to have one (which is also a problem 鈥 you don鈥檛 need to deserve rest!). The Pomodoro method really helped me in implementing regular breaks into my study habits. There are different variations of it but the gist is: set a timer for twenty-five minutes to focus on a task, take a five-minute break once the timer goes off, repeat. It鈥檚 simple, it鈥檚 consistent, and makes you take care of yourself.
The Pomodoro method specifically doesn鈥檛 work for everyone, so it鈥檚 important to find other ways to incorporate breaks into your schedule if it doesn鈥檛 work for you. Setting aside specific times to have meals while not doing any work is great. Reading a chapter of a book or going on a walk are also fantastic options. I try to pick moments when there will be a clear start and end time so that I鈥檓 able to relax but also don鈥檛 get too carried away from my work. I highly recommend going to one of the hundreds of 91直播 hot chocolate/cookie study breaks! I almost always run into someone I know for a chat and it can be truly invigorating to vent together.
3. Make Time to Have Fun
Reading period is always bittersweet for me because it鈥檚 the last time I鈥檓 gonna see some of my friends for a while. Especially this semester because I鈥檒l be studying abroad in the spring. Having plans to see friends or attend an event, even if it鈥檚 not the most conducive to studying, is a great motivation to get work done ahead of time so that you won鈥檛 be stressed during your plans. Study hard during the day so you can watch a movie with your friends in the evening! I tend to push myself better when I have something specific to look forward to. I also always find that I regain my energy after spending time with friends 鈥 it鈥檚 a great way to refuel.
4. It Doesn鈥檛 Have to be Perfect.
When I start mining a paper for minute problems or just staring at it, hoping some grand improvement will come to me 鈥 I turn it in. If you really make an effort in a class, it鈥檒l show. Your professors know that you鈥檙e working hard and nobody expects you to write the next, literary-canon-defining theory. Sometimes, an assignment doesn鈥檛 need to be great. It just needs to be done. And that鈥檚 okay! I鈥檝e come to realize that not every single piece of my work needs to be emblematic of who I am. Good enough is still good. Once again, I circle back to my mom鈥檚 advice: just do your best. That鈥檚 the most you can do after all. My mom is a smart lady.
