10 Tips for Surviving Finals Week

Well, ladies, finals week is among us once again. In honor of this long-dreaded (am I exaggerating? Maybe.) occasion, I thought I'd write up a little post on 10 tricks I've found over the last three and a half years to help survive the week, in no particular order.

10. Take some time to exercise, even if it's only 10 minutes.

You may feel like you don't have the time to spare, but make it. Studies show that exercise reduces stress and improves your ability to focus and study. Certain surveys have even shown that exercising tends to be more effective at reducing stress than taking a break from studying to troll the internet or watch TV.

9. Eat more veggies and protein.

I'm probably the worst offender when it comes to eating junk during finals week, but I've found from personal experience that when I eat more starches and less veggies, I'm exhausted. There's nothing wrong with carbs, but maybe instead of having that pasta for lunch, you should have a salad with some protein on it, especially if you want your afternoon to be productive.

8. Prioritize.

Make a list. Seriously. Do it. It helps. Write down everything that you need to get accomplished in order of how badly it needs to be accomplished. Or, better yet, break it up. On Monday, I need to accomplish these three things. On Tuesday, I need to accomplish these three things. When you finish something, cross it off. There's nothing quite as satisfying as crossing things off a to-do list. If you finish all you need to get done for the day and you still have more study time, move on to working on the items on tomorrow's list.

7. Break up your studying.

Set timers. Work in 20 minute increments and take a 5 minute break. Do this 5 times and you've already done over two hours of studying! Then take an even longer break--go for a run, have coffee with a friend, read old posts on the women's ministry blog (ahahah), or spend some quality time with Jesus in the chapel.

6. Don't pull an all-nighter.

Experts say that it's much more effective to sleep before an exam than it is to cram all night. Try to get a solid 4-5 hours of sleep if nothing else, but I recommend doing whatever works best for your body. One of my best friends can survive on 4 hours of sleep every night for a week. I can't--I need a solid 6 or 7 in order to function. Know yourself well enough to know how far you can push your limits--and don't take a chance on crossing those lines before a huge final.

5. Make time for prayer and the sacraments.

You're going to find a million and one reasons to put off prayer and skip daily mass (my vocation is to be a student, right?), but don't. If there's one thing I've learned from going through finals week 6 times, it's that I can't do it without grace. Every time I think that I don't have the time to spare and I do it anyway, the Lord in His infinite faithfulness always multiplies my time so that I can get everything done. Take some time to just sit with Him, ladies. It'll de-stress you like nothing else.

4. Set aside some time for fun.

This is going to be the last time that you'll be on campus with all those people you love for a while--if you're going to Austria or graduating, this is even more important. Yes, we are here to be students, but studying is not the only part of our lives that matter. Have a coffee date with that friend you've been too busy to catch up with. Get off campus if you can. Watch a movie or have a dance party with the girls on your wing (unless it's exam hours). All work and no play does not make for an A (yes, that poetry was intentional...and bad).

3. Do something nice for someone else.

During finals, I tend to be very self-centered. I focus so much on my stress, my anxiety, my work, my problems that I'm not aware of the people around me and the ways that they're stressing out. I also tend to complain far more during finals than any other time (which believe me is saying something). If you catch yourself doing that, try to stop. Be positive. Bring your friend locked away in the library a candy bar or a cookie from the pub. Ask your friends how they're doing and if there's anything you can do to lighten their stress. It helps to stop focusing on yourself.

2. Skip the coffee.

You may think I'm crazy for saying that, but I'm serious. Try drinking tea. It has caffeine but doesn't make you crash the way coffee does. Drink water and Gatorade. If you feel yourself getting drowsy, snack on something salty (pretzels always do the trick for me). 

1. Remember that there are more important things than your GPA.

Grades are important, but they're not the most important thing in the world. When I was a freshman, one of my professors told me something that has stuck with me ever since: "Catie, you are more than a number. You're more than the grade you get on my test." The same holds true for you. There's only so much you can do. Give finals all you've got, and be okay with the outcome. In 5 years, the grade you got on that math final won't matter.

You got this, ladies. Know of my prayers for you this week.

*************************

Catie Destatte is a senior Theology and Catechetics major. She has a passion for writing, Mama Mary, ministry to women, and evangelization. Her life motto is Totus Tuus Maria, and she tries to live that out in her every moment. Along with being a member of Women's Ministry Core Team, she's involved in Capture My Heart Core Team, Liturgy Committee, and Totus Tuus Maria Household. Her five great loves are JPII, St. Peter, tea, praise and worship music, and the ocean. Along with Shannon, one of Catie's roles in Women's Ministry is to run this blog. You can find out more about her here.