When should you start studying for finals because exam season is coming at you fast

The day you get back from Thanksgiving break, a frightening realization is going to hit. It's finals season. You'll only have a few more classes left before it's time to hit the library for an unholy number of hours. There will probably be coffee, tears, and then some more coffee, but you'll ultimately be wondering "when should I start studying for finals?"

How many classes are you taking?

If you're an underclassman, odds are you taking around five classes a semester. That's a lot and they're all on crazy different topics. It can feeling ridiculously overwhleming when you think about all the exams you have to take.

We'd prioritze the classes you're struggling in or are anticipating the professor to give you the hardest exam. Start outlining those during or right after Thanksgiving break so you can focus on them alone. Just try to get through a little bit on your way back to campus from home and chip away at a little at a time.

What's your exam schedule looking like?

By now, your school probably released the finals schedule. Take a look and see what's coming up first. Obviously that should get attention sooner. Try to get a head start on that one while classes are still wrapping up.

See if you've got any clusters of tests all within a short period of time. You'll need to get a jump on those so you're not panicking in the few days before all the exams. Reading days might be a good time to tackle those.

Do you have reading days?

Some colleges will give students a few days in between the end of classes and the start of exams exclusively to study. Don't waste those days. Take the first one to prepare for your earlier exams and the other days to prep for the later ones.

You should totally hang with your friends to take a break from studying. You can circle back to review for your first exam on the last reading day or on actual test day.

Are any of your exams papers?

If you've got a mix of papers to write and exams to study for, that's kind of ideal. Jump on those papers over Thanksgiving break by getting your research and outlining done then. That way by the time you get back to school, all you have to do is write the sucker out. With the paper(s), out the way, you just have a couple of finals to worry about. It's way more manageable to deal with a few tests than have those plus papers to worry about.