Finals Survival Guide and Study Tips (from a 4.0 college chemist)
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Hello and welcome to my ultimate guide to surviving finals. My name is Kristina, your resident college senior studying chemistry and environmental studies, and I will be your host and hype woman. Whether you’re in college/university and you’re coming down the home stretch, or if you’re in high school fighting for the summer sunshine, I hope I can leave you with some useful study tips.
In high school, I got hooked on Gilmore Girls and wanted to be the next Rory Gilmore: the original academic weapon, ultimate reader, and fanatic coffee drinker. Since then, I’ve developed a bit of a system that has gotten me through many finals seasons. So let me leave you with my top 9 study tips for surviving finals week (you’re doing much better than you think, I promise).
Make a List
I have always been a very big fan of sticky notes and to-do lists. I take them with me almost everywhere, and they help me stay on task and keep my head on straight. Specifically, I start by making one big master list of everything I have to do. I write the due dates next to each item, but at the beginning, I don’t care what order they’re in. Usually, my first priority is making sure all the random miscellaneous things I know I have to do in my head get translated to paper, where I’m less likely to forget.
Depending on my mood, I’ll sometimes throw a few freebies or house chores onto the list to break it up. No clean comfy sweatshirts? Add laundry to the to-do list. Out of food? Add grocery run. Feeling like a dead rat? Add ‘take a shower.’
Once I’ve coughed up everything on the page, I assess how difficult each task is and estimate how long it will take me. From there, I order the list how I’d like to complete it, factoring in the due dates and the difficulty. Since I’m the type of person who has to force myself to study, I typically start with a low-hanging task to build up my stamina and motivation. Oftentimes, getting started is the hardest part. Breaking big projects into smaller, more manageable pieces and adding breaks (whether it’s doing laundry, taking a walk around the block, or watching an episode on Netflix) usually helps me feel more productive and more balanced.
Set Timers
I know there are a lot of folks out there who swear by the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes studying, 5-minute break, repeat, repeat), but I have never been a big fan. While it was mildly exciting to download a new app that showed me fun graphics of plants growing while I studied for 25 minutes, I never got much done. The Pomodoro technique never worked for me because some tasks took much longer to complete than others (I don’t want to stop at question 9 out of 10 when I could just finish them all), and a five-minute break never feels like a true break.
However, I still think it’s useful to set timers to help you focus. I just like to customize them based on what I’m doing. For example, when writing a paper, I never know how long it will take to finish, so I’ll usually set a timer for 10-15 minutes to get out what I can and then reevaluate afterward. Sometimes I like to set a timer for each paragraph. Sometimes I’ll set a timer for how long to spend on my required readings. And sometimes I’ll set one so I can focus on a few nasty math problems. Knowing that you only have to stay focused on the task at hand for a shorter burst of time is a lot easier (and more productive, I’ve found) than spending the entire day at the library to find that you wrote two sentences and scrolled on Instagram most of the day.
Change up locations
Speaking of the library. CHANGE UP YOUR LOCATION. If there is one thing I’ve learned about myself over the past few years, it’s that different study moods require different study locations. Personally, I can’t study in my living room or my bedroom because I’ll a) get too cozy and fall asleep or b) get distracted by my books or by my dog. I can, however, lock in and take notes at the kitchen table – everyone has their distraction zones. Find yours.
Changing up the study location can also help me romanticize (haha) the whole studying process. If I’m deep in the chemistry zone, I’ll go to the library and find a big whiteboard where I can draw out all my notes to help get the bigger picture. Or, if I’m doing a writing assignment or a poopy lab report, I’ll go to my favorite coffee shop and set up shop in a booth where I can lock in with the cafe ambiance. If the thought of going somewhere new makes studying sound even a little more exciting, I say GO FOR IT. Studying for hours is already sucky, so you might as well do it somewhere you enjoy.
Reward yourself
Along that same line of thought, let me explain to you why I also love going out of the house. If I go to a coffee shop, I can get a coffee. Revolutionary, I know. This is not me trying to enable you to spend all your money on sweet treats (although if you need someone to tell you that it’s okay: IT’S OKAY), but rather I like to think about it from a cost-benefit point of view. I know if I go downtown and buy a five-dollar coffee, not only will I be more excited to get out the door, but I’ll motivate myself to actually get my work done. Getting five hours of studying in for a five-dollar coffee is a trade that I’m willing to make. But that’s up to each individual to make.
Pro tip: If you don’t want to spend a lot of money but still want a sweet something, I love going to the gas station and getting a cheap pop to help me power through.
Still in the Reward Yourself category, make plans to treat yourself after you accomplish your goals, your list, or your exams (whatever it may be). Don’t knock yourself down and refuse to acknowledge the progress you’re making. After a long day or a brutal exam, I reward myself with a reading night or an everything shower. If I’m feeling spendy, I’ll buy a book (muhahaha). Or, set up a date to get ice cream/hang with a friend (bonus points if said friend knows you can only hang out after you finish your work). Did anyone else’s mom only let them bring a friend over if they cleaned their room? Because let me tell you, that motivation tactic worked on me.
Friendly Reminders
reading breaks are good for you
you can buy yourslef flowers
Take a walk, get some fresh air
Sweet Treats are essential
Flashcards
Love ’em or hate ’em, flashcards have their time and place within a study routine. From my experience taking organic chemistry, I learned the best way for me to memorize things is with flashcards. If there is a butt load of definitions you need to learn and you’re working to drill it into your brain, I love using Quizlet to make some digital flashcards I can study intermittently throughout the day on my phone. But I’m not going to lie, I have a special place in my heart for physical flashcards. Writing something down is the equivalent of reading it seven times, so I love making flashcards as a form of studying, and then quizzing myself until it’s exam time. Long story short: isolate the items/concepts you want to memorize, stick ‘em on some flashcards, and review those flashcards like clockwork until the concept sticks (I believe in you).
Explain iT
Not going to lie, this one is the most annoying of my study tips.
Several people say that the best way to understand and learn new information is to teach it to someone else. In my experience, most of my friends aren’t super interested in learning about thermodynamics (if you’ve ever had to take that course, you have my deepest sympathies). Yet, when I am studying concepts, my favorite strategy is to pace around my room and explain them to myself. I usually start with my lecture notes, then drop them and try to explain a theorem without them.
Typically, I like to pair this with studying my physical flashcards. I don’t always like to write notes into an endless oblivion, so verbally explaining it, even if it’s just to myself, saves me time and energy while still allowing me to internalize the material.
Change up the Playlist
Vibes are important. And I stand by that. I love listening to music while I study, but depending on what I pick, it can make or break a study session. I always recommend listening to music without words because I find it helps me stay more focused, but change up that playlist based on the vibes and motivation you need. When studying math and science, I love, love, love listening to intense movie soundtracks (usually Marvel or Pirates of the Caribbean). What can I say? It makes me feel cool. But I also love mixing in some classical vibes or the Little Women and Enola Holmes scores. And when all else fails, I put ALL the Harry Potter soundtracks on shuffle and pretend I’m studying in the great hall with Hermione. If you’re feeling a little lost or a little lazy, I’ve attached some of my go-to playlists down below.
Currently Loving
Fuel
PSA: Do not neglect food for the sake of studying! Not only are study snacks a banger way to keep your motivation up when you feel like you’re in the depths of despair, but if you are not fueled, you cannot function. Who wants to go into an exam hangry? No one. Taking a break to get or make dinner is not unproductive. Don’t expect yourself to eat like a perfect Pinterest health guru because finals week was made for sweet treats, but give yourself time to add in some fruits, veggies, and or protein. Steal some of my favorite snacks if you must, but REMEMBER TO EAT!
Pro pro tip: In the same line of thinking, pretty please try to get some sleep before your exams, I beg of you. Don’t get caught up in the ‘necessity’ of an all-nighter just to find yourself drowsy during an exam. You can take the time to rest. It won’t kill you, and it won’t kill your GPA.
Day of Exam tips
To close us out, I’ll leave you with top study tips for exam day itself.
Step number one: take a deep breath. You’ve made it to the day itself, and whether you have studied for 30 hours or 30 minutes, you are not going to cram in anything more in the two minutes before the exam starts. You know what you know.
When it comes to silly little things that give me motivation during exams, I love grabbing a piece of gum and using my favorite pencil. I know it’s odd, but there is something about having a little treat (even if it is just gum) that makes me feel more confident going in. And using my favorite blue mechanical pencil? Well, that’s just a given.
Going into any exam, the only thing you need to do is try your best. Such a mom thing to say, I know. Some days your best will look different than others, but you can’t be disappointed in yourself if you know you did everything you could. Your best is all you can do. Don’t let the exam linger. And when you walk out, take another deep breath and give yourself a pat on the back for all you’ve accomplished. Grab yourself a coffee or some ice cream, treat yourself, and take some time to celebrate your achievements.
Don’t let your finals finish YOU. You are more than your grades, and don’t let anyone (especially yourself) tell you otherwise.
