Student blog: How to help cope with the stress of finals

It’s that time of year again where students are tucked away in Grainger, hiding underneath piles of study guides, and constantly refreshing the Compass 2G homescreen. Here are a few ways that you can help cope with the stress that finals bring:

1. Put your phone on airplane mode when you’re studying, to prevent you from procrastinating by checking social media.
2. Go for a walk or a run to help clear your head.
3. After studying for an hour or so, take a break to listen to your favorite holiday music.
4. Explore a new coffee shop to study in — sometimes a change of location can bring much needed studying inspiration.
5. Plan as much in advance as you can so that you can focus on one exam at a time. Creating a master to-do list is very helpful for this, and it’s satisfying to check items off of the list.
6. Work in productive study groups for whatever finals you have.
7. Make sure you get enough sleep. It doesn’t matter how much time you spend studying if you fall asleep during your final!
8. Do not look at notes while taking practice exams. Take the practice exams like they’re the real deal, then look at the answers.
9. Overlearn material. When you think you have finished studying, try explaining it to a friend to make sure you know what you’re talking about.
10. Stay positive! Finals aren’t the end of the world, and Winter Break is soon here!