by Scott Lariviere, Staff Writer
Finals week is fast approaching! It’s scary only because it’s as if it was only yesterday that we were trying to get through mid-terms.
At this point, hairs may be running gray! But that doesn’t mean you have to let your whole head turn to white hairs.
For finals, it goes without saying you want to study and prepare. How you do so is up to you. Form study groups, make a study guide, and perhaps, visit a psychic.
But there are a few things you really need to do while finals are approaching and a few things you’ll need to remember when finals arrive.
I’ve broken them into two phases.
Let’s start with phase one. Don’t procrastinate! I know, I know, the Joe Biden memes on Facebook are funny and you can’t help yourself. But look at those later!
Stop paying so much attention to your hair! New England is windy and when you go outside, you might expect the wind to blow it around.
And yes, trading fantasy sports players and playing the game is a great time for sure, but that’s not going to help you achieve that A!
Now, getting down to business.
Study, memorize, socialize (as a break, but not for too long), and practice. Those are the ways you will succeed in your final.
Great, that aside, let’s move on to the second phase: getting mentally prepped.
While it is important to study, to maintain a healthy diet, to stay on top of your papers, projects, and reports, it is also important to focus on your sanity.
The first thing to remember is to breathe. Not only is it crucial for you to survive finals, it’s kind of necessary to live. When I say breathe, though, I mean to stay calm and relax. Don’t stress too much because that’ll hurt you in the long run.
As cliché as this sounds, it’s true that it is only a test. You will live. If you’ve learned the material and if you’re studying, you’ll be fine.
While it is good to have some nerves about taking the test, it isn’t good to stress it anxiously.
Second thing to remember is to rationalize. Remember that the entire semester you have been working on the material.
The professor isn’t going to throw you a curveball and put something on there that you wouldn’t know.
Don’t have it in your head that you’re going to fail. If you have that in your head, you’ll be sure to have anxiety. That, and you’ll get discouraged.
Third step may be a difficult one for many. But, one thing you want to do is get motivated for the test.
I know, it’s a test, and tests aren’t fun. But you can get motivated for it regardless.
If not for the actual test, you can get motivated for the end of the test! If you’re finishing your program this semester, congratulations! You have something to look forward to!
But for those who aren’t done quite yet, you have the break to enjoy! Relax, spend time with family and friends, go out, and snuggle cozily watching movies with hot chocolate.
This sounds amazing, doesn’t it? You just need to get through finals first.
So, going forward, take a deep breath, relax, and prepare.
The widely known “Five Ps” are: proper preparation prevents poor performance.
Just be sure to prepare in every area. That is, course content, rationed breaks, and mental preparation. Good luck!