Seriously. During your end of semester grind, it’s very easy to lose track of reality. Eating, as it turns out, is kind of important to sound studying, so please factor in food and drink a few times per day. Your body and mind thanks you.
I ran into a student a couple of days ago who I see around campus from time to time. I asked him how final exams prep was going, and he said that he was focused, taking one thing at a time so that it doesn’t all pile up. I couldn’t put it any better myself.
No one said it was going to be easy. That’s what makes it worth it.
Every day is a chance to celebrate success. Even days when you’re in the middle of studying for finals and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. The light will be there; your determination will help you reach it.
This is possibly the most important thing to keep in mind during final exams season: It’s not about simply finishing. It’s about finishing well. This is your playoffs, these are your championship games. Rise to the challenge.
One of the true downfalls in final exams studying is the infamous “study break.” It could be an organized study break in the study lounge with wings, pizza, and soda, or it could be your own study break, simply flipping on the TV or computer after a focused 45-minutes of studying. You can get lost in YouTube or socializing, and simply not want to return to the task at hand. You need to wrap your mind around the fact that you are still on the study clock, and you don’t have time to waste. Before you take your break, remind yourself that it’s not an indefinite break, and be mindful of holding yourself to that.
When you are studying, you have to be studying. You have to be in the academic moment. You can be texting, Facebooking, watching TV, daydreaming, etc. This is counter-productive and only ends up hurting you. Thirty quality, focused minutes is real. Try it and see. (It sure beats having to stretch it to 45 or 60 because you were messing around, or not really retaining anything but not having any more time to study and then doing poorly on your exam). Do a focused 30-45, pause for a bit (5-10 minutes), then do it again.
How do you stay focused? Especially on a summer-like day at the close of April, near the end of a long, draining semester? You’ve got to make a plan based on incentives. Tell yourself that if you wake up early and get some quality study time in, you can take a longer lunch outside with some friends. Finish a section of your paper and then go get a smoothie. Do a close reading of a couple of chapters and then get on Facebook for fifteen minutes. You can’t simply do what you want when you want, not with final exams around the corner. A little bit of incentives-based self-discipline goes a long way!
With finals quickly approaching, everything you’ve done this semester rides on how you finish the race. Stay focused! Tips and motivators coming daily for the next two weeks…
The title says it all. Now go study for finals!
