Mackenzie Sheldon | Opinion editor
You Vs. Finals
The dreaded finals week is coming up for Eastern students. Navigating how much time you need to study, working between classes, managing your social life, and having a good sleep schedule is difficult during this time. Work-life balance is always pushed, but how do we actually balance it in college? It is important to remember you are not alone. Your friends are going through the same stress you are. Here are some tips on how to ace your exams while keeping your sanity.
Fix your sleep schedule
I know you’ve been staying up studying, or partying. Whatever you’ve been doing that’s been keeping you up until 3 AM, fixing your sleep schedule is essential to being prepared for your exams. It’s very difficult to fix when you need it to be fixed. We have three weeks until finals. If you have been going to sleep later than you want, now is the best time to fix it! Try getting home or shutting off your devices an hour earlier than usual. By the time finals come around, you may be falling asleep at a reasonable time!
Use a digital planner or handwrite your tasks
Planners are extremely beneficial to remembering what work you have to do. As college students, we have a lot on our plate. Remembering it all in our heads is challenging. For me, typing or handwriting my daily tasks helps me finish them on time. If you are not a planner type of person, you could always use Google Calander or Microsoft To Do. I use To Do and it has been a game changer. Using the website is great, but downloading the app and typing in any tasks that come up is very convenient.
Set time for studying
You can't dedicate all your waking hours to studying. Creating a balance between classes and studying is essential to effectively retain information. The Pomodoro Technique is something I use during finals to help me study. First, set a 25-minute timer and use that time to focus on one task. Try to make it specific. For example, “study chapter 4 in my business textbook for 25 minutes”. After the time is done, take a 5-minute break. During this break, you can do anything but study. You can get up from your desk and walk around your dorm, you can scroll on your phone, anything you want! Repeat these steps as needed, but after 4 rounds of this technique, try to take a longer break. There are many apps you can download that use this method of studying. Even if you don't use this Pomodoro technique, there are so many more you can use!
Don’t isolate
Stressing alone and isolating in your room sounds like a great idea in theory, but please steer away from this! Study with friends and other people in your class. Don’t lock yourself away in your room with your head in your textbook. There are many places on campus where you can study or just take breaks. I personally like the Fine Arts first floor. There are many tables and comfortable couches to sit on right next to huge windows with a beautiful view of campus. You’d be surprised how many buildings at Eastern have seating like this. The science building has desks at every end of the hallway. The student center and the library cafe are two fan favorites as well.
Remember you are not alone. Finals week is challenging but if you remember these tips, you’ll be just fine!
Good Luck, Warriors!
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