Finals Week Tips

It’s Finals Week: Do you know where your Scan-Trons Are?

As the end of the semester begins to wind down and our streets begin to thaw after the big freeze, you just have one more hurdle: Finals.

Finals week is full of suspense, sleepless nights, junk food, cars that won’t start, little dramas, and bad hair days.

Here are a few tips to keep Finals Week stress at a minimum. You may have your own list, but give our list a scan. At least it is more comprehensive than “A healthy breakfast is always a great start to any day!” advocated by the Sacramento State Food & Nutrition Club.

Avoid Sleepless in the Saddle syndrome. In 2009, Time magazine did a study on how sleep habits affect grades. Students who pulled all-nighters received lower grades than those who went to bed at a decent hour and woke up well-rested and alert. If a full 8 hours is out of the question, revisit The Nap. Even a 30 minute nap will give you more energy than a cup of Starbucks and it’s far less expensive too.

Review in groups. You may prefer to study alone, but check-in via Skype, Hangout, or F2F with a group at least once to review.  Classmates bring different information and perspectives that they remember from class discussions that will help you when it comes to the final exam.

Post It: Post your finals week schedule in the Big 3 Locations: your computer screen, your windshield and your refrigerator. Set an alarm on your phone for one prior to each exam.

Avoid distractions. Hovering over your online course gradebook isn’t wise. Social networks such as Twitter and Instagram can be your worst gremlin enemy during finals week.  “During finals, I have a friend change my password on all my FB account to prevent them from being a distraction to me,” a student wrote on her Facebook wall. Ironic.

Back up Your Work~Save Your Files on a Zip Drive~Keep a paper copy of important assignments. If you email a professor, cc yourself.

Laugh. At something. At Anything. The physical benefits of 15 minutes of laughing linger for 45 minutes of better circulation and relaxation. So stop right now and chuckle. Watch this video to get started.

dog in trash

Keep a Kingdom Perspective. “Aren’t you glad we’re not in charge?” Coach Jerry Wilson said the other day. And his wise words certainly apply to finals. God is not finished with you yet.

Keep a Calendar Perspective.  It all begins again in January