Survival Guide: Finals

Sadly, it's that time of the year again: finals. As much as we all dread them and can't wait until summer is here, we still have to do them. To hopefully make them a little easier and to help alleviate the pain of studying/preparing for them, I have put together a "survival guide". Make sure to leave a comment if you have anymore tips that I left out or found these helpful. ♥

1. Get a lot of sleep the night before: 
The night before the big day, sleep should be a top priority for you. I'm sure you have heard it many of times before, but sleep is SO important for you, especially your brain. It will help you focus more and will let you use your brain to the best of your ability.

2. Study:
This is a no brainer (ha, that's funny). The only way you will learn the material and be able to put it fresh on your mind (unless you have some sort of special know-it-all powers) will be to study, and yes, study more.  Whatever way of studying is best for you, use it. Whether that be flash cards, study guides, practise tests etc. Make sure that, when you study, you go over everything you can-it will be worth it in the end; past assignments, lesson notes, tests, projects, etc.

3. Snacks/drinks:
If you need help staying focused, eat a snack. Blueberries, nuts, and dark chocolate are known for being good focus foods. Drinking green tea is also good. If you want to read a more in-depth explanation for these foods and others you can check it out here.

4. Planning:
Planning is always a good idea, no matter what you're doing. But, if you plan for finals it could really help you. If you plan put how many days you have to study then you can divide all of your material over several days so that it would be easier. You could also write down when or what to study. If you don't have a physical planner you could download a planner app on your phone and it would work just as well. Even incorporating highlighters or color coding certain things might be beneficial. 

5. Remove distractions:
When studying I can't listen to music while still being focused but I know some people that have to listen to music to study so if you're one of those people then, by all means, do what's best for you. In my case a distraction would be music so that's one thing I would have to remove. Other things, such as your phone, TV, social media, or anything else that would distract you, would need to be put away. When you're done studying you could use those things as "rewards" for taking the time to study.

6. Be comfy:
If you are studying why not wear comfy clothes? It might help you focus more on what needs to be done and will make you feel better when you are behind a textbook for multiple hours at a time. My go-to outfit for studying and being comfy is usually leggings and a sweatshirt or hoodie. Sometimes I even wear workout clothes (they might even motivate you to go for a run). Whatever you feel most comfortable in is what you should wear.

7. Calm down:
Yes, finals are a stressful thing to do and study for but they don't have to be. Take breaks from it all once in a while and take your mind off things. Do something that you love to do or just something that often helps you get rid of stress. Remember, once they're over, they're over. So, do your best but don't make it harder than it has to be. Good luck!