Thanksgiving is over. You’re stuffed full of turkey, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Now it’s time to finish the semester and study for finals. I know what you’re thinking. You wish you could close your eyes and the semester would be over. You’d have “A’s” on all your finals and “A’s” in all your classes. And as much as I’d like to pull an I-dream-of-genie moment and grant you your wishes, I can’t. But you can.
The semester will end in just over a week, and this is the time to focus. Your finals will not pass themselves. You need to get in gear and get through it.
Your first step is to get in the right mindset. You’re in the home stretch. Only a couple more days and, winter break, here you come. So, before you start groaning with the thought of picking up your textbook and reading, remember that this is the last time you’ll have to study for that class.
The second step is to not procrastinate. When I say this I am preaching to myself. I am the worst when it comes to studying. I cram ‘til I can’t cram anymore, but I do not recommend this. Procrastination is the worst idea for a final, simply because you cannot boost your grade afterwards with extra credit if you do fail. This is the last test for each of your classes. Your final is a big percentage of your grade, so if you fail this because you didn’t study, it’s your fault.
The third step is not to have too much fun. I may be over exaggerating about your social life, but you get the point. Have you ever heard the saying where you have three options, sleep, school, or socializing, and you can only pick two? Well, if you’ve picked sleep and socializing all semester, it’s time to re-organize your priorities. For the next ten days, you’re sleeping and studying. No parties the night before a final, no midnight premieres and no late night runs to Steak ‘n Shake. Got it?
The fourth step is to study smart. This means study where and when you study best. If you can remember definitions and mathematical equations at Starbucks at 3 a.m., then go for it, but if you can’t please stay away. Study in a place that is conducive to learning for you. For me, I can’t study if there is commotion around. I end up with the worst ADD and read the same paragraph five times. I have to study in my room where it’s quiet, so I can recite out loud.
The fifth and last step is to try not to stress yourself out. If you’re a freshman, get used to finals. You will experience them about seven more times. If you’re a senior, this is your second to last time going through this. The point is that you can’t change finals week. You can’t make it go away. So don’t freak out. If you start studying early, and I mean really studying, you should be fine. And if you don’t memorize everything in time, well, there’s no use having a heart attack during your final. It will be too late so don’t fret.
I know this is the week every student dreads. I bet you just want to flush finals week down the toilet. But, you’ll be back home spending time with family soon enough. So good luck my fellow NSU students and I hope you get all “A’s.”
