How to Stay Sane Over Finals Week
Written by Emma McCormick
Exams are upon us. To prepare for my first week of college finals, I asked some test-taking veterans for study tips. Spoiler alert: almost all advice begins with, “Don’t procrastinate.”
Here’s hoping you’ve been cracking the books all semester.
As for what you can do now, Junior Hannah Norman says studying in the morning is best.
“Your mind is clearest early,” she says, adding that breaks are important regardless of what time of day you choose to study.
For senior Jack Shannon, studying for finals “just happens,” but after some thought, he gives this excellent tip: “If it’s a skill-based class like math, practice the problems. When trying to memorize large swaths of information, organize it and condense each part to a word or sentence. It’s much easier to memorize a list of ten words than ten sentences.”
Anna Goodwin uses the psychological tactic of conditioning to help her remember information for exams. When she studies with friends, they reward themselves with a treat every time they get an answer right. Last semester the reward was Peanut M&Ms.
Effective studying requires an effective space. Victoria Watson, a sophomore, goes on offense when it comes to that space. She finds a room at the beginning of the week and leaves her stuff there. “People hate it, but you have to get ahead in the game.”
Watson also says she looks forward to the amount of down time in the week, as well as the fact that once each final is over, she is done with that class for good.
Studying is the priority, but sleep is important too.
“Do not burn out studying. It’s better to retain a moderate amount of what you know by sleeping, instead of cramming and forgetting most of it.” This advice comes from Alex Buchmann, a senior who has six semesters of experience under his belt.
We probably all know that research supports the benefits of sleep, and at least some students at Hillsdale are reaping those benefits.
“If you take power naps, you remember more,” says Brittany Cremean.
Of course, if you can’t get the sleep you need, there’s always coffee.
Anna Goodwin, who happens to be one of the managers at AJ’s Cafe, has coffee on the brain. Her suggestion: “Always get cold drinks. They keep you up, and warm milk puts you to sleep.” Goodwin also wants you to remember that Americanos have more espresso than lattes.
Don’t have enough Charger Change left to load up on coffee? You might make note of this for future reference. Victoria Watson says she always has at least twenty or thirty dollars left in Charger Change at the end of each semester strictly for coffee.
Good luck this finals week. Since it’s never too early to start, I’m going to go buy some Peanut M&Ms and prep my notes so that I can avoid cramming and save time for sleep!
Emma McCormick, ’19, is from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and plans on majoring in economics. It is still too early to call her a full-fledged member, but she participates in mock trial and the firearms club, and volunteers at Mary Randall Preschool.