7 Tips to Survive Finals

Hey y'all! I hope finals are going well for those of you who are taking them right now. I know they are totally kicking my butt schedule-wise, but I just keep taking it a step at a time and trying not to let the stress get to me too much. Anyways, I am sure you are just as busy as I am, but I wanted to share a couple of my favorite study tips for this finals season, including a new one that I am trying!

One: Reduce Caffeine Okay, this sounds crazy coming from someone like me, but caffeine can increase your stress levels, which is the last thing any of us need this time of year! Personally, I like to add tea into my normal regime because it still has some caffeine without being as strong as coffee. You should also try to up your water intake because it will help with basically everything your body needs to do during this season, including sleep!

Two: Self Control App It might sound a bit extreme, but I use this app religiously around this time of year because otherwise I will just take "a super quick" study break that ends up being an hour on Buzzfeed determining which James Franco Selfie I am (I got Gucci&Pasta in case you were wondering). 

Three: Change the Venue If you are tired of going to the same library or can't study on the quiet floor of the library, don't force yourself to do it! I know where I study and write best, so I usually try to stick to the same few places. Tonight I am working from home because I am burned out on libraries...until this weekend.

Four: Sit on a Medicine Ball I had heard this increases your concentration and after doing it last night I am inclined to believe it. Fair warning though, if you are tired this can backfire. It would appear I sort of dozed off while sitting on this ball last night and didn't realize it until I was laying on the floor...oops! Plus, this gives your core a nice little workout to maybe combat the lack of gym trips and increased number of calories you're eating. 

Five: Sleep I am notorious for not doing this normally, but I have recently realized how important some sleep is. To be perfectly honest, if you aren't sleeping much, your work is going to reflect that!

Six: Classical Music Everyone has a different preference when it comes to study music, but I am partial to classical music since I see a noticible difference in my performance when I listen to music without lyrics. This time of year, the Nutcracker is always a good choice!

Seven: Make a List Again, I do this all the time, but making a list allows you to visualize the task at hand and that increases the chance that you actually do it. Seriously, nothing more rewarding that putting that check mark next to a task.

Any other tips?

xx

erin