5 Ways to Survive Finals Week Without Burning Out

By Adaeze Nwokolobia on December 10, 2018

Finals week is here and deadlines are breathing down your neck. How do I survive finals week! That slimy thing called panic is starting to creep up your spine and you find yourself with slight anxiety attacks. Surviving just trumped a little higher in your list of priorities of which passing the class is second. Finals week, the week when college students all over America have to take all course exams. Sometimes within a week and a half.  A burn-out has become a resultant side effect. Truth is, how do college students survive finals week without burning out?

There is a chance of burn-out where you feel totally stressed out, over-worked and a little close to losing your mind. Calculation of grades are in earnest and maybe, just maybe, success in finals can give you the grade push you have been praying for. Probably not. Most professors tend to give finals a much lower weight in favor of midterms and concurrent tests. For science courses, some professors give a heavily weighted cumulative final. Hopefully, you have been working hard since the beginning of the semester. If this is not you, the panic just crept a little higher. Okay, deep breath, keep calm and read closely.

via Pixabay

1. Stay Hydrated.

So… drink water? Yeah, right. That is what you are probably thinking and you have like two finals in one day and the cumulative one is early in the morning. Water really? More likely, it seems everywhere you look this tip pervades the entire internet from beauty gurus touting water as a “cure-all” to fitness gurus talking about drinking water to lose weight. Thing is, there is actually some truth to this. Staying hydrated has lots of benefits to the body and since the human body is 60% water and in constant need of a detox. If you want to survive finals week, water is goals.

Dehydration can lower your blood volume and stress your heart and cause you to feel uncomfortable hence the need to drink water and stay cool, calm and collected. You should avoid sugary drinks, too much caffeine, and energy drinks as they dehydrate quickly. You could try fruit infused water where you put fruit in water for 1-2 hours before taking them out and drinking. Be careful to not let the fruit stay in longer as they can release undesirable flavors after a while. Fruits like lemon and lime are great choices as they have natural preservatives. I personally use cucumbers which is so good that I find myself drinking more and more water.

According to One Medical group, research reported at a British Psychological Society Annual Conference found that college students who brought water into an exam scored higher marks than their non-water having counterparts. Yes, correlation is not causation considering that the report did not account for if the students drank the water at all or how much water they drank during the exam. The most important thing is the students knew to stay hydrated and it helped them in the long run.

2. Eat well and Sleep Swell

Sleeping on an empty stomach is no sleep at all. During finals, libraries and study centers are typically open overnight while some cafes offer late night openings and food deliveries. If you want to survive finals week without burning out, losing sleep and staying up overnight is a really bad idea. You will burn out.

Try to eat early — before 7 pm — and eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Yes, eat that one slice of pizza or bowl of ramen but don’t overdo it in six-packs of Cheetos and 10 bars of snickers later. Try to wake up early and eat in the morning. It could be a piece of fruit, a bowl of cereal or a whole English breakfast if you have time. This way you would not be studying on an empty stomach or taking an exam on one either.

Take power naps in between study times. The power naps can be from ten minutes to twelve minutes and try to actually nap. Yes, it can feel like you are wasting time and you should be covering more ground but respect your body and its need for rest. You might feel like you look lazy or even feel awkward with your head on a desk in the library trying to nap but not napping and feeling anxious all over again is way worse. Pulling overnights before an exam could be harmful as your sleep-deprived brain would barely be able to work at functional focus levels. Some college campuses have lounges with couches and resting areas so do take advantage of this safe space.

via Pixabay

3. Make a concrete study plan and follow through with it

At this point, revisions are in order and covering new material is probably too late now but not impossible. A study plan that is realistic and achievable can help you achieve your finals goals and let you stay grounded and protected from burning out.  Preparing earlier in the semester is an added advantage you already have. How? Studying for periodic tests all semester helped prepare you for the final. The notes from the review sessions you attended every week will come in handy. So if the final is heavily testing on new material, it is best you focus on that and if it is cumulative try to go over concepts you did not understand over the ones you already know.

People find that a good study plan includes study groups and this is really effective. If you want to survive finals week, it is not a bad idea to seek out productive company. You and your friends can cover different material, try to understand them better and in turn try to explain to each other until each member of the party understands. Each member studies a specific topic and in turn explains to the group until everyone understands. This involves excellent teamwork which can only produce desirable results.

4. Talk to someone and share your anxieties even on social media!

If you feel like you are feeling overwhelming hopeless, then it is best to talk to a professional. Campus Health Centres usually offer extended hours and special programs that focus on helping students go through finals week without burning out. I find this really helpful as the health professionals can offer suggestions like reaching out to a professor to reschedule a date in a case of three finals in one day.

Other students prefer to express their angst on social media especially Snapchat as this helps them release steam. This is a light and fun way to ensure your mind stays unburdened and free of anxiety. Your snaps might be so relatable and get so many shares but I digress. Do not be ashamed everyone has issues. Let it all out. Speak out.

5. Balance your reality and expectations accordingly.  

The truth can be quite bitter to face up to, especially when you find yourself failing a class and you find yourself praying the professor curves the grades. It could happen. You can only do so much, therefore, it would be better to study as hard as you can and focus on doing your best instead of possible outcomes of the test. Even in a class where you expect to end up with a high final grade sometimes, you might end up with a less than stellar grade. Perspectives matter so it is important to come to terms with your realities and adjust accordingly.

Undue pressure is quite toxic as you have to remember that college is more about new experiences and learning than grades. Work more around your time and surround yourself with positivity. Most importantly, remain honest with yourself so that way you don’t end up feeling all used up before finals even end.

Most people think of finals like an overhaul. Do what you need to do and it will all be over soon. Survive finals week. Thing is, in that process, a person can end up breaking down halfway and the rest of the exams might be completely messed up due to low morale or extreme sleep deprivation. Hopefully, all these tips above can help you stay battle-ready, fully able to conquer finals week and come out winning. As expected.

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