Summer is so close and yet so far, but don’t fear—death is not a common side effect of finals stress, though it may seem you are quickly heading in that direction. The following are a few tips for making the last week of school just a bit easier.
Go to Ripple.
Or a movie. Or shopping, or anything that you find entertaining for that matter. Yes, all students are tight on cash, especially by the end of the semester, but taking a little time and money to splurge on yourself can really help alleviate some of the finals stress.
Frozen yogurt is always a mood lifter, and seeing a movie could help you forget your real, stressful life for an hour and a half. Even setting aside 30 minutes to sit in front of the TV and numb your brain is a great study break. Breaks are very important and can be very conducive to your information retention. That being said, checking Facebook every 15 minutes is probably not the wisest idea, nor does it count as a legitimate “study break.”
“I usually make some food and enjoy some comic relief from my girlfriends,” said Elise Hague, a 20-year-old junior psychology student, when asked about her way of staying relaxed in between study sessions.
Make study lists and timelines.
For the student taking 19 credits, the sheer amount of work that must be done in order to complete all those classes can be overwhelming. Papers pile on projects that overlap tests and can sneak up on a person in the form of a mild heart attack. The more organized you are, the better! Prioritize and timeline your assignments. Work on the assignment that’s due the soonest and make sure you are evaluating which tests take precedence over others in terms of your final grades.
Troy Wise, a 21-year-old junior biology major, said it’s important to take a step back and breathe. “Taking one day at a time is really the only way to prevent stress overload,” Wise said. “Also, try to keep a positive attitude.”
Stay healthy.
Getting adequate sleep, exercising and eating right is imperative around finals time. Cold and allergy season is in full swing and the germs seem to be floating around in the air, just waiting for a blip in students’ immune system. Especially when under stress, the immune system is easily caught off guard. Sleeping well, eating healthy and washing your hands multiple times a day can often decrease the chance that you will become ill during finals. Exercise is a great way to alleviate stress and release feel-good endorphins.
Erin Butler, a 20-year-old sophomore international affairs major, shared her advice on how to stay healthy during finals.
“I drink Emergen-C’s every morning and try to get enough sleep–usually seven hours,” Butler said. “I try to go to the gym four times a week.”
Everyone deals with stress in their own way, and the key to getting through finals is just sucking it up and getting through. Study hard and reward yourself with breaks, stay organized and prioritize, and be conscious of your health—summer will be here before you know it.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Chelsea O’Neill at Chelsea.oneill@colorado.edu
