Updated April 15, 2022 – The end of the semester is approaching, and although you feel the urge to put on your favorite beach gear and head down the shore, you still have to push through final weeks. With term papers and final exams, it’s enough to make even the most studious student stressed out. Let’s face it, it can be at times damn near impossible to concentrate when all you want to do is go to the next holiday party, or crash on your couch and binge watch “Bob Ross: Beauty is Everywhere on Netflix.” But…the bottom line is the work needs to get done. So…here are 5 tips on how to survive finals week at West Chester University.
Make a Clear Schedule and Stick to It
When we hear final exam dates and term paper deadlines at the beginning of the semester, each of us puts it to the back of our head. We try and forget them like Clementine forgot Joel in “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.”
However, those dates keep creepin’ on you like TLC so have to mark them down, and–for G-d’s sake–prioritize them. Our first suggestion on how to survive finals week is to use Apple Reminders or Google Keep (which will change your life if you haven’t discovered it already) to keep everything buttoned-up. It doesn’t really matter what you use, you just need a method within the madness so you can stay sane & not find yourself crying in the shower. Prioritize them by deadline, but also by which one is going to pose the most challenges for you so that you can allot yourself the appropriate time to slay dragons.
Find Your Safe Place
Each of us prospers in our favorite spot. Whether your spot is nestled deep within the upstairs of Skyes, or it’s a quiet table at a local coffee shop, such as Fenn’s Coffee, if you have a place that works, and you do your best work there, stick to it. You don’t want to jinx yourself now.
Call Time Out
Even the sharpest individuals have to call a time out, and research shows that scheduled breaks actually increase creativity and productivity. Make a conscious effort to actually leave your dorms or West Chester apartment and recharge your batteries. Put in some PT with a friend at WCU’s Campus Recreation Center. Whatever it might be, make sure you are simply able to break away and decompress.
Eat Your Wheaties
Breakfast might be the meal you’re likely to skip each day, but you need the energy for your brain, and something more substantial than just a jolt of caffeine. You need protein and healthy fats to provide you with energy, so…stop in the dining hall for a quick breakfast. It doesn’t need to be much. Even just some greek yogurt with some fresh fruit is fast and easy.
Shower Yourself with Gifts
After your finals are over, reward yourself. In fact, we encourage you to plan it right now! Put it on your calendar with frequent reminders so you have something to help you push through finals week; splurge on a day of indulgence at Zazen Nail Spa or make plans with your friends to celebrate at Ram’s Head Bar & Grill. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that you can truly look forward to.
Finally, it is of the utmost importance that you remember that finals week is simply just a moment in time; a blip on the radar of life, and it too shall pass. Try to get a good night sleep every night, sneak in some 20 minute coffee naps, and try to tell yourself that nervousness and excitement produce the same biological reaction, you choose to apply which connotation internally and mentally. From all of us at Zukin Realty, Inc. we hope you enjoyed our brief post on how to survive finals week, and we wish you the best of luck!
