I'm not going to downplay the significance of finals and act like they aren't hard because I'd be lying to you if I did that. But here's the thing - there's a way to do finals week without having a breakdown and losing yourself. I know sometimes we laugh it off and act like it's nothing, but really, none of us enjoy going crazy and losing our minds during finals week. This week is my 7th college finals week (wow I'm old). Yeah I'm the rookie and the vet. With this, I've found ways to manage myself during finals week and things that help me get stuff done and succeed during finals week without blowing my whole life up. And this is coming from someone who still struggles with procrastination, time management, and focusing on one task for an extended period of time. It's not easy going through finals week, but it's possible and I'm going to show you how.
1. See the bigger picture. Once again I'm not trying to minimize the importance of finals, I just want you to know that this week of exams and projects does not make up your whole life. Your success/failures during this week and this semester don't take away anything from how smart, skilled, and special you are and it doesn't take away the fact you have a great future. Realize that even if you DO fail or perform poorly, that it isn't the end of everything. You will have opportunities to make up for it, bounce back, or maybe even change course to something that fits you better. Overall, don't make finals week more than it is. I volunteer with a high school basketball team and something the head coach would always say during "big games" such as playoffs (finals are really the playoff games of the semester), is that don't make the game bigger than it is. Sure it carries more importance than other games, but you have to play it like a normal game. When you make the game (or in this case your finals) bigger than it is, you overthink a lot of things and cause room for error. He'd say to prepare for it and play it like you would a normal game, to not get too ahead of yourself because the stakes are higher. Don't put too much pressure on yourself!
2. Make times for other things, for the sake of your health. You have to make a good amount of time to study and do your school work, that is true. You also have to make time for things that'll get you out of your room/library, this is also true. This can be literally ANYTHING. It can be going out to eat, going to the gym, taking naps, jamming in the car, driving, praying, hanging out with friends, videogames... do ANYTHING except studying for as long as it doesn't involve anything that'll drain you more. Do the things that destress you in healthy, easy, not expensive ways (Lord knows we broke). You have to prioritize these breaks and other things in the midst of schoolwork, or you'll literally lose your mind.
3. GRIND. Yes, these breaks are important to find rest for yourself. However in between these breaks and hobbies, you're going to have to work. You won't get away from doing the hard work during finals unless you're extremely lucky. This is where work ethic has to come into play; you can't be lazy. You have to be willing to put in the work to get those great grades you're seeking, and you're more than able to do it. I believe in you. I struggle with this sometimes because it comes down to applying yourself and focus. My attention gets drawn to 100 things all the time. Find a space where you can focus, get your music on if you're anything like me, and lock in. You're capable and more than good enough to accomplish whatever task is in front of you.
4. Find your place. Like how I mentioned trying to avoid distractions and being able to focus, sometimes the best way to do this is to find a different place to get your work done. Sometimes, studying and doing work at the same desk in your room, every day, with your TV and the comfort of your own bed distracting you (not to mention roommates and your friends) can be very difficult to do. What I suggest is finding a new physical setting where you can focus, settle in, and find a little bit of peace. This could be a sweet spot in the library, Panera, a beach, a unique coffee place that no one knows about, heck go to the airport (that's my go-to). Find a place where you feel refreshed, at peace, that's visually appealing, where you can do what you have to do without being in a stressful, distracting environment. Find that place and make it your own.
5. Know that you're not alone. If you're like me, I'm sure you like to take it upon yourself sometimes to go hard at it by yourself, figure it out yourself, and get it done yourself. Sometimes this is totally good, especially if you know what you're doing and it's easy to get work done when you're not being distracted by others. However, when I've seen my friends struggle the most with finals is when they get overwhelmed, stressed, and feel like they don't know what they're doing, and they feel alone! They feel like no one is there to help them understand it and figure it out. They feel like no one is there to support them, encourage them, believe in them, or comfort them. But look, you don't have to feel that way! You have friends and people who care about you, even if you don't realize it. Don't isolate yourself when things get hard, reach out to those closest to you! That's what friends are supposed to be for! And if you're struggling to find the right people to surround yourself with, well that could be a good thing, because at least it means you're seeking to surround yourself with real friends who genuinely care about you. And if you can't find a lot of those people, you have one in me. If you ever need help with anything, or just need support/encouragement, know I'm here for you! I know what it's like to feel alone and feel like you don't have friends to help you, and I'm making it a point to help others so they don't have to feel that way. Also, I don't know how you feel about God and your faith so I'm not really going to force this right now because it's for a whole other conversation. But I encourage you to pray because if there's ever a time that I'm not there or your friends aren't, you can be sure God is there for you because he cares for you and loves you like crazy. If you believe that, then pray to God whenever you feel alone or anxious because he will take care of you. He wants to take that weight off of you!
6. Believe! You won't succeed this week if you don't believe you can. Even if you're lightheartedly saying it in a jokingly way, if you keep telling yourself "I'm gonna fail" or "I'm screwed" or "I'm not smart", you're probably not going to do well. The first thing you NEED to do is talk yourself out of the mindset that you're not good enough or smart enough. I need you to know that you're smarter than you think you are and that you're doing better than you give yourself credit for. If you're anything like me, you're probably your own biggest critic and you never feel like you're succeeding. Get out of thinking that and be grateful for what you've accomplished, and believing the best for what's ahead. I believe in you, I really do, but I also need you to believe in yourself and that you're capable of getting through these finals and doing your best.
And while I wanted to save the faith talk for a whole other blog, I want to include part of it here - if you don't have enough belief to believe in yourself, I encourage you have faith in God. Because for me, that's where I find a lot of what I'm lacking. See, when you feel low, discouraged, hopeless, like you don't have any purpose, God is there to pick you up and remind you that you were created with a purpose, and that you're worth more than you can ever imagine. He can lift you up in a heartbeat when you're feeling low, all you need to do is rely on Him and trust Him. Following God isn't all about just following rules and acting perfect, that's not it. Following God gives you somebody in your life to be there when you don't have it all together yourself. So for this finals week and really all the challenging times you face in your life, I hope that you find it in yourself to believe in yourself and if you still need more encouragement and hope, give God a chance and see what he can make out of it all. God's taken situations in my life where I didn't see the best of things, and turned those areas into things in my life that are great and amazing. He can do it for you too. I love you guys, and PLEASE if I can help or be there for you in any way these coming weeks or anytime in general, let me know.
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