Study Tips to Get You Through Finals Season

USC Today

By Heather Mimikos

Finals season is upon us—sometimes, this means a few reflections, one big test and maybe an essay. But if you’re like me, this finals season is especially stressful (ten things to turn in during one week?!?) However, the dreaded finals season can be stressful no matter what you have to do if you aren’t taking care of yourself properly. I’m going to be talking about some tips that help me during finals.

“I don’t need to take a break, I just need to lock in.” I’ve said it, you’ve said it, we’ve unfortunately all said it. I say unfortunately because while sometimes it feels right to just power through, it doesn’t feel as good the next day. I am the expert on burning out and not taking breaks is a one-way ticket to burnout town. 

Something that I’ve recently started doing is called a “Study Crawl” where you essentially plan out different places to study and move around throughout your study session. This is a good technique for longer sessions during finals because it forces you to take a break and walk to your next location. Also, the change of scenery is really helpful and it keeps you from holing up in Leavey for a week and a half. I try to plan chunks of my work that I can do in different locations so I know when it’s time to move; otherwise, you can use a timer.

In a similar sentiment to taking breaks, making sure you’ve planned things to do with friends is another way to keep your sanity during finals. You know you should see all those people before you leave, but sometimes you think it’s better to sit in bed on your phone. It definitely is not (sorry) and it helps keep up the school-life balance that you lose during finals week.

If you still have a meal plan, Midnight Breakfasts are a fun way to meet up with your friends and use up some swipes this finals season! Also, something that I forget until I get home for the holidays is the importance of indulging in the holiday spirit! Have some hot cocoa, organize a little Secret Santa, or decorate your apartment or dorm! Even though it’s stressful, it’s still December and the holidays are here—why not embrace them a little?

Other little things that I appreciate during finals season include bringing around little fidgets (somehow I’ve accumulated many from different campus events), keeping up with self-care routines and keeping a clean space. These little things may seem obvious or overwhelming but they are important to try to keep up with so that you don’t make yourself more overwhelmed! Taking baby steps is always helpful.

Lastly, making a plan for your finals may help if you have a lot or you have a lot due on the same day. Planning out when you’re going to work on what and again, taking baby steps, is a good way to keep yourself in check and keep from getting overwhelmed. You can write papers day-of during the semester, but when you have two 10 page papers due on the same day you should probably start beforehand (I wish I was kidding but this is genuinely my situation). 

Whether you feel like you’re losing your sanity or you’re making overnight plans during study days, there are little tips for getting through this finals season. It’s really important to take care of yourself and take things in chunks during finals week to make sure you don’t crash and burn.