Dear reader,

The time has come: finals week is almost upon us. Going home is just a few weeks and a few exams away. Finally, right?

I’m so ready to pack up my stuff and drive home to celebrate Christmas with my family. But alas, I have a few days of finals ahead of me before I can finally relax.

When finals are approaching, it can be very easy to get overwhelmed. It can be so intimidating to look at your exam schedule and freak out.

Here’s the truth: finals week does not have to be as stressful as you think.

Think about it, your schedule becomes completely altered for a few days, clubs are over and classes are over. All you have to worry about is yourself and passing your final exams.

Last year, I felt like I had a weight lifted off my shoulders when finals week came around. I finally had the time to prioritize myself and my studying. I even found ways to make it fun, while also being successful.

Finals week is a great time to do everything on your own time. Find a nice place to study, buy a coffee and settle down. You can spend hours in a nice, warm place studying your heart out and only worry about being on time to your exams.

You can study in a few of the on-campus coffee shops, such as The Cabin and Einstein’s, or you can head off-campus. The Goat and Racy D’Lene’s Coffee Lounge are two great choices on Water St.

The McIntyre Library will be open all through finals week, and the fourth and fifth floors are the perfect quiet spots to study. Rent a study room and settle down. Maybe even take an exam there. It’s the perfect place to relax and immerse yourself in material.

Take all of the extra time you have and use it. This will be the best time to just study with no distractions, but you can find ways to make it relaxing and enjoyable.

At times, finals week will be overwhelming, but remember to set aside time for yourself. Get lots of sleep, remember to eat good food and fuel your body and move your legs as much as you can.

Don’t let yourself get tense and anxious. It’s important to study as much as you can for finals, but it doesn’t have to mess with your mental state. Just keep pushing ahead.

Finally, here are a few study tips to utilize during finals week:

1. Make sure your notes are clean and organized. 
2. Make. Those. Flashcards. I promise they will help, and you can bring them anywhere.
3. Rewrite your notes. It will help you remember the content better.
4. Go through all of the past class PowerPoints, textbook chapters and anything your professor posted on the Canvas page.
5. Finally, find your perfect place to study. Find somewhere where you can focus and immerse yourself in studying for your finals.

Finals week doesn’t have to be scary. It sounds intimidating, but if you figure out your best way to study, find the perfect study spot and remember to prioritize your mental health, you can get through it.

Create an end-goal for yourself and make that the finish line. What are you aiming for? What is just past this last week?

You can get through it. You’re so close to the end of the semester. You got this and I believe in you. Now go dominate those finals and make yourself proud.

Lots of love and hugs of encouragement,

Skyler

Schad can be reached at [email protected].