How to Survive Finals Week: 10 Easy Tips

The most stressful time in every college student's life is finals week. Caffeine flows freely in most people's rooms, papers and books cover every square inch of every surface, and it's not uncommon to get as much sleep in a week as most people get in one night. Having survived over 14 different finals weeks as an undergraduate and in grad school, I've picked up some techniques along the way to help minimize stress and maximize efficiency.

1. Write research papers early; do not wait until finals week to write that paper! Most of the time, professors give plenty of advance notice before a paper is due. Complete all of your papers ahead of time, even if they aren't due until finals week, so that you can just focus on studying for your finals instead of using your study time to write a paper that you put off.

2. Clean and organize your study environment before you start studying for finals. Not only can you study more effectively in a clean and organized setting, but it also offers one less distraction from studying. The key is not to get distracted, and a clean and orderly environment helps enormously. You also won't be able to procrastinate by cleaning if you clean beforehand.

3. Eat healthy! Snack on carrots and celery instead of M&M's. Healthy snacks will energize you, instead of sending you into a food coma when you're done. You will also avoid a sugar crash.

4. Take vitamins! It's never good to get sick, let alone during finals. Vitamin C helps prevent sickness, vitamin B gives you energy, and echinacea boosts the immune system.

5. Exercise. With all your stress and deadlines, you might think that you don't have time to exercise. Think again! Exercise helps you focus, it gives you additional energy, and it releases endorphines to make you feel better. If you must, bring a book to study while you're on the exercise bike or treadmill - that way, you won't miss any study time at all!

6. Rest. During finals week, most people stay up pretty late, working on last-minute things. The majority of all-nighters occur during finals week. If you don't get enough rest and can't concentrate, all of the time that you spent studying at 3 a.m. for that exam won't make a difference! Make sure you get enough sleep.

7. Take breaks! Making time to relax and give yourself a mental break is extremely important. Watch your favorite TV show. Read a children's book. Play ultimate frisbee. The most important thing is that you do something for yourself.

8. Take advantage of school-sponsored study breaks, especially those involving food. Many colleges help their students to de-stress during finals week by offering school-sponsored study breaks! Check into what your school offers - it might be a late-night snack in the school cafeteria, coffee in the dorms, or even free massages!

9. Ask your professor for a study guide if she didn't already provide you with one. Odds are that she'll create one if you ask nicely.

10. Study in a group. No matter what the subject is, with the right group of people, you can learn more about the topic you're studying than you already know! In a group, you'll either take on the role of teacher or learner - if you can teach it to someone else, it requires you to understand it yourself, and if you don't know something, you can ask someone who does. Be selective when choosing who you want to study with - be sure they'll keep you on track, not distract you.

Following these guidelines, I have enjoyed relatively stress-free and successful finals weeks for the past several years. If you also follow these tips, your next finals week should be your easiest one yet! Above all, don't procrastinate, minimize distractions, and focus on the material at hand. Good luck!