Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

By Hayley Silverstein
Asst. Student Life Editor

Now that Thanksgiving break is over, it is time to face the dreaded reality that we were all avoiding during the holiday.

The culmination of everything you have learned this semester will be summed up in one exam that decides the final fate of your grade in that class. While exams are unavoidable and studying can be excruciatingly painful at times, here are some tips to help you survive finals.

If you are a student currently reading this article, you are most likely procrastinating. While you believe that you can spend some time starting a new show on Netflix, finals are coming, and ignoring them doesn’t mean they will go away.

To avoid procrastinating, you need to minimize distractions (like your phone, TV, Facebook and even friends) so you can focus. You don’t need to lock yourself up in solitary confinement with your textbooks, but if you don’t need a laptop or a phone then leave it at your dorm when you go to the library.

Another tip is to make a study schedule so you can follow some guidance instead of deciding to study when you run out of things to procrastinate with.

Also, set timers for breaks and for studying, so you are not constantly checking the clock and you have an audible reminder of when you should be studying and when you should be taking a break.

Where students like to study is very particular to each individual, but you need to make sure you study where is best for you, not where all of your friends go. If you can handle the chaos of the library and Starbucks during finals week, then that is where you should study. If you need somewhere a bit more low key, there is always the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, Eagle’s Landing, study rooms in dorms and academic buildings and Pitts Theology Library. Find a place that works for you, because you will be spending a lot of time there these next couple of weeks.

Depending on your roommate situation, your dorm room is the best place to study, because it is your own space and separate from distractions.

While it may seem like a lot of things are put on hold when studying for finals, your health cannot be one of them. Make sure you get lots of sleep all throughout your time studying and visit the gym, because sleep and exercise will help you remember all of the material you learned and reduce stress.

Try to limit caffeine to no more than 300mg a day, especially when it comes to energy drinks and coffee. If you are looking for other ways to stay awake, try switching to tea or having a small amount of dark chocolate to get your caffeine fix.

And if you are exhausted, take a nap during the day for 10-20 minutes so you have enough energy to study and make it to winter break. Make sure you are drinking lots of water and try to eat healthy foods if at all possible, even though we all know it can be a challenge. If you get enough sleep, eat healthy food and stay hydrated, then there will be no need to binge on energy drinks and pull all-nighters.

While finals are extremely stressful, you can survive them if you put in the effort. Just remember, grades do not define you.​

– By Hayley Silverstein, Asst. Student Life Editor

 
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The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.

The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.