April means spring has sprung, but it also means for many students an immense amount of impending stress. Final exams are just around the corner for college students, myself included. I wanted to quickly share some of my best tips for managing your stress and maintaining a positive mental health during the last stretch of the school year.
- Start Studying Early
The first thing you can do to help reduce anxieties about finals is to begin studying right away. Don’t procrastinate beginning to review, especially for those cumulative exams, because that will only result in you feeling overwhelmed. “Dead week” is the perfect time to get organized and start looking over past content you will need for your final exam.
2. Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated is always important, but it is easy to forget when you get super busy. Be sure to drink extra water and even try to eat particularly healthy leading up to finals. Healthy nutrients are crucial for our brains to function at full capacity, so the combination of lots of water and health conscious foods is a great idea when preparing to take big exams.
3. Get into a Good Sleep Schedule
Our bodies also need plenty of sleep to be at our peak performance. Try to establish a weekly routine if you are not already in one. Do NOT try to stay up super late cramming for a test rather it is better to get a sufficient amount of sleep. Additionally, be sure to set multiple alarms when you have to get up for a test. The absolute worse case would be oversleeping a final exam.
4. Take a Deep Breath and Make Time for Yourself
Finally, and possibly the most important tip I can give you, be sure to take time for yourself. I am a firm believer that life is all about balance no matter the week. During finals week take time to veg out with Netflix, hang out with friends, or even get some fresh air taking a walk. By fulfilling the social and personal needs and wants in your life, you will be better off academically as well. Ultimately take a deep breath, and remember it is just finals week. If you prepared well, you truly have nothing to worry about.
In general, these four tips you have most likely heard before, but it is always good to have a little reminder. I wish everyone a spectacular finals week. Stay tuned for a summer oriented blog post to come!