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The time we all regret is now here: finals season. For many, this time of year is extremely overwhelming, stressful, and exhausting. Here are some tips for staying focused and avoiding any burnout in order to be successful!
Firstly, it is important during a period of high stress to take time to aid your mental and physical needs. This includes getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and working your body.
While pulling all-nighters fueled by high amounts of caffeine is tempting, it is important to avoid anything that can cause high stress. This means sleeping the recommended eight hours is crucial.
Sleeping allows the brain to process all the information you took in throughout the day and gives your body time to rest. With little to no sleep, it is common to lack focus, increase stress levels, and have an inability to recall information.
Food is fuel for the brain. A mix of carbohydrates, protein, and not over or under-eating will prevent you from feeling fatigued. This includes whole wheat, chicken, eggs, and fruit – all will keep you energized. Additionally, water is very important to keep focus.
It is important to take breaks that keep you productive. Low-intensity workouts to break up the long hours of studying can boost productivity. For example walking, running, yoga, pilates, or cycling are great ways to get your blood flowing, brain running, and prevent long-term exhaustion.
Managing your study methods is key to success as well. This can work differently for every person, but for me, adapting to improve my organization, study methods, and environment made a significant difference in my ability to be productive.
Organization is key to efficiency. This can look very different for each person, but one method is making a list at the beginning of every study session. As you go through, you can check off each task, which prevents you from feeling overwhelmed by the material, makes you feel accomplished when you do check off a task, and sets an achievable finish line.
This can look like deciding to make a study guide for an exam that is in three days. Each day, you put on your list two lectures you will review by looking at any quizzes, notes, assignments, homework, etc. On the last day you review your study guide, try to quiz yourself.
The long hours of studying can be dreadful. That is why it is important to romanticize studying. Your environment and how you are studying can change your whole perspective from negative to positive. Learning to enjoy studying helps to grasp the material.
One method is making everything visually appealing. Notes that are colorful, organized, neat, and filled with photos make the material digestible and fun to make. To do so, use different color highlighters, avoid large chunks of writing, and space the information out.
Furthermore, the environment you are in while studying can change everything. Avoid distractions at all costs. Crowded and unorganized spaces can be distracting.
This can be difficult because many on-campus places are crowded throughout finals season. Sticking to areas where the people around you are focused can make you feel motivated to work. This may mean working in study groups.
However, when working with other people do not allow them to deviate from working. Taking a brain break and talking to each other is okay, but if these breaks consume the time that you are working or encourage you to focus on other topics this can negatively affect your experience.
Most importantly, take care of yourself throughout finals week. Know if you are feeling overwhelmed, alone, or stressed, you are not alone, and there is a whole community of students, faculty, and resources that you can talk to. Winter break is right around the corner and you got this!
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