How do you know its finals season at the University of Rochester? It's when the Hoeing 2 lounge is full yet quiet at the same time, and on a closer look, you see that no one's playing board games in the middle or video games on the laptops. It's when your freshmen start complaining that they can't find any place to study and the lines in Starbucks are constantly endless. It's when emails about study breaks all over campus start pouring into your inbox. It's when you see people inhabiting Rush Rhees at all times of the day. And it goes on . . .
This post is dedicated to my wonderful freshmen of Hoeing 2 who are now learning about the time of the year called FINALS WEEK. They oftentimes stop me down the hall to tell me about how Rush Rhees was overwhelmed with people and how they cannot wait to fly away home as soon as the last final is done.
So what can you do during finals? Here are some of my tips I've accumulated over the years from people and my own experiences . . .
1. Go claim your place in the library.
Yes, that involves waking up early during reading period; otherwise, you'll be walking around finding a place. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. It's important to find your "study zone" where your productivity to study for that math final is at its maximum.
2. Make your room your best friend if crowded study spaces stress you out.
If you don't study in your room and can't quite study in the library well enough because the people freaking out about exams just end up scaring you about college, now is the time to make your room the best study place ever. Finding a place in the library at this time of the year can be quite difficult. So clean up your room, make it cozy and get studying. I've put up a little floor seating area in the middle of my room to make it seem more homey to me, and that's where I've been writing most of my papers for my classes lately.
3. Eat, drink water, sleep, eat, drink water, sleep AND REPEAT.
During finals, it's extremely easy to be working so hard that you forget you haven't had your daily intake of water or haven't eaten at all since morning. That's probably not such a good idea, because it'll begin to take a toll on you later, and falling sick during finals week . . . that's pretty tough. I know you might scoff at me telling you to sleep, but seriously, pulling all-nighters to study is not as helpful as studying three hours after a good night's sleep for that organic chemistry final.
4. Bring out the cozy oversized sweaters, hot cocoa, and the Michael Bublé Christmas album.
Yesterday, I sat down in my cozy oversized sweater and wrote my paper while listening to Michael Bublé's beautiful voice and sipping hot chocolate. Downside: It made me want to go home. BUT, plus side: I felt comfortable enough to get into that study work zone.
5. And of course, goes without saying, study smartly!