Here is an exclusive inside look at my freshman year finals week experience: I was drinking coffee for the FIRST TIME, took at least four naps a day (regardless of when I drank said coffee), ate two meals per day (compliments of the Uploaded Lunchables) and, finally, a sweet-tasting coffee as my dessert around 9-ish each night for five nights in a row. This. Was. My. Life.

Thank goodness I’ve learned over the last two years that finals week doesn't have to be the ‘worst week of my life’ but, rather, the ‘worst month of my life! (Too soon?) 

I’m kidding guys, please don’t take me seriously.

Although knowing the information needed to actually ‘pass’ a test is crucial and based off of your work ethic for the last five months, there are indeed hacks and tips to assist in making your life less stressful and more productive in order to do your absolute best on the exam! Below, I'm sharing some tips that've helped me ace my finals in the past (can't speak about my upcoming final exams just yet) with encouragement that both I and my friends need for one of the most stressful weeks in a college students semester.

ALSO, to help you even more during these stressful times, I've created a simple Finals Survival Plan to help you get organized. Click the image at the bottom of this page to save it as an image or click this link here for the PDF version: FinalsSurvivalPlan-PDF.  

Contact me if you have any further questions and make sure to Follow Me on Pinterest for other pinned 'finals week' posts. 

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naps save your life. 

The first thing I need you to do, if not already done, is to force yourself to take naps. In the past, I never liked taking naps because I, personally, would wake up grumpy after the fact. What’s both scary and interesting is that when my body is in a state of constant stress, naps HELP me stay focused and feel energized after waking up, no matter how long or short.

Knowing that finals week is the definition of stress, and your body needs to feel a sense of ‘calm’ and ‘peace’ amidst the storm, try to, at the very least, lay down and allow yourself 30 minutes to rest and stop thinking about schoolwork each day if not multiple times a day.

 

study for every test you have, daily. 

This may not seem very beneficial to actually remembering material for a test that may be first up in line, but it is crucial and scientifically proven to help with retention.

This simply means that you should, once completing initial review papers or attending the final review session, look over your notes for each section, every day until each test, in order to continue to remind and remember important information.

It can hurt you more than help you, which I’m currently guilty of doing, to study for one exam one day and completely switch over to another exam the next, relying solely on the popular ‘cram method.'  Take 30 minutes each day for each final you have to take and go over your notes so the information can be FORCED (such a gentle word) into your brain before the actual test day.

 

please eat, a Lot.

I don’t mean take 10 trips to McDonald's within the day for nuggets and burgers with the occasional salad to make you feel healthy. I mean small meals, throughout the day, to keep you energized and comfortable enough to actually be productive and not feel sluggish when studying.

For me, I love stocking up on sweet potatoes and eating one for a snack, at least once or twice a day with other mini-meals to keep me awake and full enough to focus. Often times, when we are hungry or tired (which is why naps are crucial) we will both lose focus and the drive that is needed to be productive and follow through with active studying. (Speaking of...) 

 

study actively, rather than passively.

What in the world do you mean, Makayla? Well, this is just a fancy way to say that reading aloud, looking into your book, or opening up power points while studying notes and review guides is an active and surefire way to ace a test, when done enough and correctly.

I catch myself staring at one sheet of paper for an hour, thinking that skimming over words in my head is going to help me to retain information—when really, after trying to remember what I just read, I realize that my mind was stuck on what I want to name my future kids and which shoes I was going to buy next. 

#CollegeStruggle : Studying one minute and thinking about vacation the next 🙄 Share on X

Don’t play yourself by staring at a paper and calling it a night. Actively place yourself into that class and surround yourself with the chapters you need to know for your test, doing these things in small increments every day (second point plug) in order to KNOW the information rather than just being ‘familiar’ with it.

 

ask a million questions, shamelessly.

This is the end of the semester, and whether or not you listened as you should have most days (if you even went to class), these last few days and review sessions are yours for the taking. Not only do you need to pass the test to get the best grade possible in that course, but your professor needs to NOT have consistent failing grades across the board in order to stay ‘in the clear’ as an educator.

So, with that said, don't be afraid to ask a million (substantial) questions that you genuinely haven't been able to find for yourself. Stop feeling as if you are annoying your professors just because you’ve sent more emails within the last week then you have during the semester. Yes, it’s not fun to go through tons of emails or to ask tons of questions, but it needs to be done. So, as Nike would say, Just Do It. (Wish that was sponsored, but it's not. *Sigh*). 

 

separate work and play (with moments of actual play).

I know I just said a million times that this week is important and crucial, blah blah, but I would be lying if I said that having fun at least once throughout finals week is both healthy and necessary. Go bowling with some friends or hit up Starbucks to actually TALK to your home-girl a couple times with no books in sight.

Separating work and play can save you mentally and emotionally, leaving you feeling accomplished after it is all said and done, rather than depleted of all joy. Trust me, my freshman year finals experience left me feeling worse AFTER it was done rather than relieved, as we all deserve to feel.

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College is not meant to scare you away from knowledge with its many tests and responsibilities that MAY, or may not, hit you in the face every now and then.

Take advantage of what you learn and the opportunity you have to attend school in the first place. There is nothing wrong with feeling stressed, overwhelmed and at a loss during weeks that expect a lot out of you. All it takes is a productive and positive mindset with the DESIRE to achieve, which is the formula that reliably spits out passed exams and happy students.

You CAN ace your exams and move on, happily, with few regrets (notice how I said few. It’s college, remember?) Put your mind to it, follow through and believe in your ability. Make sure to check out the Finals Survival Plan down below and download the PDF version here: FinalsSurvivalPlan-PDF

May the odds be ever in your favor,

- Miss Lynn