Tips to Surviving Finals Week!

You have a list. You are checking it twice. You’re going to find out if you know it or not. It’s Final Examination week here at Loyola! For the purposes of this list, I will be showing My Eight Do’s the Don’ts of getting through this finals week. So grab your hefty books, your study guides, and your healthy snacks; it is time to get cracking and start surviving!

The Do’s:

• Form a Study Group: Yes, an actual study group, not a Community study group where you reflect on all your hardships and struggles that you have been going through your entire life. Study groups are truly useful in putting together the facts and figures/formulas with your fellow classmates. You are supposed to be helping each other out, take notes, and learn from each other. But please, please, PLEASE; do not be that person who takes advantage of the Study Group by showing up and not knowing your stuff. People are here to study and get work done, not have some free loader. Luckily, here at Loyola, we have places where students can form group studies at both Lakeshore and Water Tower Campus in both Cudahy and Lewis Libraries. For more information and to book your room follow the link attached: (http://libraries.luc.edu/reservations)
• Ask Questions: When your professor starts to bring up the final examination, ask them the essential questions: format (multiple choice, short answer, true/false, essay), length (how many questions, there have been cases where a final has only been 1-2 questions), important concepts covered (cumulative or non-cumulative), and number of points (if not covered on the syllabus, where it most likely is) the more you know, the better for you.
• Eat Healthy: A healthy mind is a clear mind. I know, it is easy to quickly grab “power meals” from Starbucks (with espresso shots, I see you there in the back). Or to bottoms up a Red Bull to get you through that all nighter. But, please, eat healthy options. Many of these unhealthy snacks and drinks are basically empty calories and full of unnecessary sugar. Instead focus on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and natural juices; your brain will thank you!
• Treat Yo’ Self: Let’s say you have been studying (productively) non-stop for an extensive period of time and you just need to take a break. No, it’s not time to get that espresso shot. Instead it’s time to treat yourself. Treat yourself to a relaxing bath, that Netflix episode (limit yourself to one), a chance to go to the gym (join a fitness workout class), or splurge on yourself a bit (for me, this often entails buying a book at a bookstore on Belmont stop or getting a quality sandwich from Eately). Whatever you do, take this time for yourself, cause you deserve it. Just don’t get too carried away.

The Don’ts:

• The All Nighter: Yes, you were able to put an all nighter in high school and still be okay (mostly okay). But in college, pulling an all nighter is equivalent to putting yourself up to fail. Basically, it is not a smart idea. You will be too stressed and mentally drained it will be too hard to focus and concentrate. Instead of doing an all nighter spread out your studying cycle into easy bite sized segments.
• Rely on Caffeine: In college, coffee is very accessible. It is easy to grab and go. I am not anyway saying to stop and completely eliminate your coffee intake, what I am saying is to be smart with it. Before your final, do not chug your coffee for a few reasons. First, you do not want to have a caffeine crash after your final. Second, you do not want to be all jittery when you are taking your final and will not be able to focus or concentrate. Lastly, coffee is a diuretic, simply put, it will make you want to use the bathroom…a lot.
• Procrastinate: Just, don’t do it
• Binge on Technology: Your using your computer to study, well most of us do. If you decide to use it, please be smart. Focus on the task at hand and review your notes, previous quizzes or exams, etc. Just don’t be glued to your screen watching cute sloth videos (which are fun to watch by the way, when you have the free time) or online shopping on Amazon or Etsy.