As the days grow shorter and colder, the body’s internal clock signals something familiarly odious on the horizon: finals season.
For most students, finals are the seemingly insurmountable hurdle that must be leapt over, or perhaps, crawled under, with the last vestiges of one’s waning willpower. Ravens brace themselves for all-nighters, and rumor has it Holy Grounds is considering adding an intravenous caffeine delivery option to their menu. The guys over at the Google HQ are scratching their heads and wondering who this Joseph of Cupertino fellow is that everyone keeps searching for.
It’s rough out there, Ravens, but you’re nearing the finish line. Here are five ways to stay sane during this finals season.
- Analyze Your Study Habits
Do a quick analysis of your study habits. Do I study better alone or with other people? Do I like to flip through flashcards while on the treadmill, or do I like to color-code my notes? You know yourself best, so make a study plan now and stick to it. While it’s beneficial to try new study habits, make sure you also stick to some of your tried-and-true methods.
- Make The Study Experience Enjoyable
Prep that playlist of your favorite study tunes. Make a Walmart run and treat yourself to some study snacks. Pull out those hippy little essential oils for some aromatherapy. Pretend you’re studying Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts instead of biology. Put on your favorite sweatshirt.
Tending to your basic needs like food, water, and temperature regulation can help you stay focused and feeling a little less crazy. Plus, you’ll have fewer excuses to get distracted when everything you need is nearby.
- Throw Your Phone Off The Lookout Bluff
Okay, maybe don’t, but take the lurking threat of the magic rectangle seriously. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve let myself get distracted by a notification and then fell down the scrolling hole. I’m not here to bash technology, or to suggest you only receive communication by carrier pigeon, but do consider the advantages of replacing scrolling with other things, for example, sleep.
- Talk it out.
Somewhere, in a lonely tower (or St. Ben’s), a professor waits longingly for someone, anyone, to come and talk to them. Struggling with a core concept or what the reading actually meant? Go talk to your teacher! Make use of office hours or schedule an appointment if you want to talk about something in depth, like an upcoming paper or exam.
After you’ve gone to the pros, consider organizing a study group with other students in your class. Go to a classroom with a whiteboard and work together to review the concepts and readings. Teaching others is one of the best ways to learn!
- Move Forward…Always Forward
You are not defined by the score you received on that statistics final. Maybe your term paper wasn’t as Shakespearean as you were aiming for, and that’s okay. At Benedictine, we strive for greatness, but we also know how to move forward and not get bogged down by our failures. The performances you weren’t satisfied with become opportunities to reflect on where there’s room for growth. Ask yourself, what did I learn? At the end of the day, you’ll be more strong in some areas than others, and your grades are a temporary thing in this world.
There’s no way around it, finals season is a test of both virtue and endurance, knowledge and fortitude. But Ravens have what it takes to meet the challenge. Most importantly, stay close to the Lord during this period of high-stress and a hectic schedule. It’s tempting to skip prayer time when things get busy, but maintaining your prayer life is the most effective way to stay sane during finals season!
Click here to pray a prayer for students written by St. Thomas Aquinas.