How to Kick Ass During Finals Week

It’s right around the corner. Everyone’s been talking about it for weeks now. You start nearly every conversation with “are you ready for the ____ final?”, in which you can almost always guarantee you’ll solicit a reassuring “hell no!”

Yes, that’s right. Before we jump into the holidays, we must first endure these next two weeks. Here are some tips to help you study your way through “dead week” and kick some ass.

Find your ideal location.

You need to find what works for you. Just because your roommate is perfectly capable of studying chem locked up in the dorms with music blasting and the curtains drawn, doesn’t mean you are. Ideally, it would be best to figure out which combinations are best suited for you over the course of the entire semester. If you need to focus, going to study in the middle of a crowded coffee shop might not be something you’d like to try this week, especially if that’s not what you normally do.

Check out this past article for a list of suggested places to study on campus.

Stay away from stimulants.

These can include caffeine, drugs, excessive alcohol, medications, etc.

Many of us (myself included) count on copious amounts of coffee to keep us going. It’s totally okay to do so, but if you’ve never been one for the bean, this week is not the time to decide you like consecutive espresso shots.

Also, make sure you stay away from excessive use of stimulants. You will inevitably find your desk cluttered with Red Bull – just make sure you aren’t relying solely on it to stay awake this entire week. In the long run, you’ll start having trouble absorbing information, and might even end up crashing the day of your test. Ideally, you want to incorporate natural boosts into your routine; try and set aside time to get some exercise, make sure you eat real food and stay away from saturated fats and sugar (as tempting as those chips may be, you will regret killing the entire bag the following day), and make sure you get some sleep.

And finally, as tempting as it might be, try to stay away from partying, drugs, or alcohol. Save it for after you’ve conquered those finals.

Be careful with your choice of music.

Although the majority of us probably listen to tunes while we study, it’s important that you choose music that won’t be too distracting, as it might take away from your concentration. Try instrumental music, such as classical, jazz, or post-rock. I recommend Sigur Ros or Explosions in the Sky.

Keep your face in a book, not on Facebook.

If you’re like me, you have some kind of obsession with constantly checking social media. I kid you not when I tell you that the minute I open up my browser, the first thing I type into the searchbar is “f” followed by enter. It doesn’t help that I just checked it five minutes ago either. It’s like a refrigerator – there’s nothing good there, and you know nothing’s changed since the last time you checked, yet you still do it anyways.

However, during finals week, distracting yourself from your studies via social media is not going to help you in any way. Cut down on your online time by:

• Studying away from the computer. Bring a few books with you, leave the laptop at home, and go to Moffitt.
• Give someone you trust your Facebook password, and ask them to change it temporarily.
• Use online apps and add-ons to block yourself from accessing Facebook or other social media websites.
• Find someplace to study with little to no Wi-Fi. At places like Starbucks, there are always hoards of other people taking up bandwidth and making for slow internet connection. Take advantage of this – if it takes ten minutes to load up one webpage, you’re less likely to fall back on mindless browsing.

Try the Pomodoro Technique.

A friend of mine introduced this studying tactic to me a few years ago. Although I don’t use it on a regular basis, I have used it a few times, and found it pretty effective.

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that divides work into intervals, separated by breaks. It is based off the concept that taking short but frequent breaks can actually help overall productivity. There are essentially five steps:

1. Decide on what you want to accomplish in the time span.
2. Set a timer to 25 minutes.
3. Work on whatever you need to do for that duration.
4. When the time is up, take a short break, usually around 3-5 minutes.
5. Get back to work! After you’ve worked through four 25-minute rounds, take a longer break, usually around 15-30 minutes.

Although this technique might not be for everybody, give it a try!

And finally, a few extra tips:

• Destress! Watch (or participate) in the Naked Run, buddy up with someone and study together over lunch, or take half a day off and let yourself have some rest. Giving yourself some much-deserved relaxation will actually help you improve in the long run.
• Resources! Moffitt Library and the SLC will both be open 24 hours. Also, if you have any questions, make sure you talk to your professors or GSIs – they want to help you succeed.
• Chew gum! Studies have shown that chewing gum while buried in your books can actually help you stay focused and boost mental performance. It may also ward off the munchies. Also, when taking the exam, try chewing the same flavor of gum you had when you were studying – it’ll actually help you jog your memory.
• Repetition! It has been proven that reciting things over and over will help things stick better in your mind. Also, try writing things out. This can include copying your notes by hand, creating flashcards, or summarizing a chapter’s information on an index card. All of this will help you retain the information better.
• Stay positive! These next couple of weeks will be immensely stressful. It’s imperative that you stay not only in good physical health, but in good mental health as well. You want to walk into that exam room confident. It can be difficult, though; if you find yourself collapsing under it all, talk to a friend, call up your parents, or take advantage of the Tang Center. You’ve got this!