Hey guys! Finals can be a stressful time for any student, but never fear! I’m bringing you the ultimate survival guide. And look on the bright side, summer is coming! I’m so excited to be planning new posts for you all. I have put together these tips, tricks, and life hacks to help my fellow scholars prepare. I hope you find this post useful, let’s go ahead and get started!

1. Study Space

During finals week, it is totally important to find a good place to study. I do not recommend your bedroom, there are just way too many distractions. I usually prefer to study at the library, or my spare room, somewhere quiet where I can focus and not watch TV  (tempting as it is to finish season 3 of Pretty Little Liars).

2. Healthy Snacks

I also think snacks during study time are very important because, let’s be real, nobody can pass them up. I found that dark chocolate (vegan of course), blueberries, and nuts are fantastic for your brain. Chewing mint gum can help you improve your concentration. You may want to fill up on caffeine for those all-nighters, but I suggest you stay away from it. Fight the urge, as it is a stimulant which causes harmful effects to your body. I was a green tea fanatic last year but the caffeine made me sick to my stomach, and if you have finals coming up, you want to be at your absolute best!

3. Use a Planner

I also recommend using a planner during finals week so that you can keep track  of all your due dates & days and times of tests. Using a color-code system is a great way to know which assignments are from specific classes. It’s effective and vibrant at the same time! I also like to make sure that when I’m studying, I’m keeping my area organized because I get really stressed out if the space is messy. Wherever I go for studying, I make sure my textbooks are all in one pile, and I only have one open at a time. Additionally, I keep my pens and pencils organized just to help me not get stressed out.

4. Comfy Outfit

Wearing a comfy outfit while I’m studying is helpful also. While typically, I’m not a big advocate for sweats, finals week is a rare exception.

5. Turn Off Distractions

While you are studying, you want to make sure that you’re not scrolling through social media on your phone or listening to music because these things are just distracting. I really like listening to music when I’m studying, but when it comes to finals, I really just have to buckle down, take the headphones off, and not jam out to the Hamilton soundtrack. I get super distracted and wind up spending more time having dance parties with myself than hitting the books.

6. Use Apps to Study

I like to use study apps during finals to help me organize and concentrate better. Create practice problems, quizzes and study guides prior to the tests. I have the Quizlet app, (probably my most used app for school), which is so handy for making flashcards without wasting paper or wasting valuable time. Having organized materials will help you answer questions quickly and effectively.

7. Take Time to Relax

I like to do things to help me relax during finals week. Things like going on hikes, doing yoga, or anything other than studying, really helps me to just not be too stressed out and get a little break. It’s definitely important to do so you don’t get over-stressed, which happens to me a lot of the time.

8. Sleep Well!

My last tip for finals is to get enough sleep. I like to stop studying and turn off my phone an hour before bedtime. This calms me down from all of the knowledge I’ve been cramming into my brain throughout the day. I also like to spray my room with lavender spray. Lavender is super relaxing and helps me fall asleep faster.

I hope you guys found this useful! Let me know in the comments down below if you guys try out any of these tips or tricks that I mentioned. Good Luck!

See you guys in my next post!

xo, Liv