The essentials of staying sane during finals

It’s almost finals week and if you are anything like me your to-do list is ten miles long and the amount of time left is dwindling down every minute. Summer vacation is right around the corner and whether you are going home, abroad, or staying in Madison, those plans are so much more exciting then trying to stay focused and study for finals. It is usually about right now that I kick myself for skipping those lectures and discussions.

Now it’s easy to get caught up in the craziness and try to fit as much as possible to pull off that “A”, BUT it is also extremely important to try to stay healthy during this time. Stress levels make staying mentally healthy seem almost impossible and the lowest priority on the list; however, if you keep healthy, you will probably not only do better on exams but also feel better at the end of the week. Getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, and staying active are all essential to staying healthy and doing well during what is for most people the most stressful week of the semester.

Set your priorities

Prioritizing what you have to do and starting studying as early as possibly will lessen the amount of stress at once. If things feel overwhelming, try to break up large tasks into small ones. Say you have to study for your Econ exam. Instead of just sitting down with everything in front of you, break it up into five or six smaller parts of a couple chapters. Not only will you insure that you covered everything, but you also wont feel that you don’t know anything at all.

Get some sleep

While it may seem like the obvious solution to pull another all-nighter at the library, getting a “normal” amount of sleep will not only make you feel better and be less crabby, but you retain more information when you sleep right after studying. Additionally, as much as it might be convenient to eat junk food and get take away every night of the week, eating relatively healthy – like picking up a salad from Gordon’s – will sustain your studying much more than the bag of potato chips. Lastly, hitting up the SERF will help to relieve stress, produce endorphins, and you can study while working out. Bring flash cards or go through your notes while running on treadmill.

Walk it out

If finals are still weighing you down and studying for one more minute seems impossible, take a walk around the library or close your eyes and breathe for a few minutes. You will get through this and come out the other side. So, lastly if all else fails, call your parents, talk to your best friend, or hit up UHS counselling and stay positive after all it is only one week.