Claudia Olson ’22 | Assistant Features Editor
Sleep!
This may seem obvious, but sleep is essential, especially during finals season. Memory, concentration and energy, components essential to academic success, all improve with a consistent sleep schedule. Though college students are infamous for skipping on sleep, this is not a trend that has to be followed. Try getting eight hours daily in these next few weeks, even if it means cutting back on extracurriculars and social activities. Your brain will thank you for it.
Eat well
Food fuels the mind, and the quality of the food helps determines the quality of your mental state. It can be tricky to maintain a healthy, balanced diet when navigating the Smith dining menus, but planning healthy meals is worth the extra effort. Every dining hall has a salad bar, and there are always bowls of fresh fruit available. Good food leads to a better mood and greater focus. A balanced diet of protein, complex carbs, fruits and vegetables boosts and stabilizes energy levels more than sugar and caffeine.
Take study breaks
While hard work and concentrated study sessions are necessary to perform well on exams, it is also necessary to space these sessions out. Your brain can only handle so much content at a time, and consistent cramming only leads to a clogged mind. Break up studying into chunks, and fill the spaces in between with fun and relaxing activities. Whether your house hosts a study break in the living room or you spend some time catching up on your favorite TV show, make sure to separate work from play. Rather than watching a movie while you write a paper, let the movie be your reward for progress on the paper.
Create a relaxing study space
Though studying can be an intense, exhausting activity and the thought of looming exams can be stressful, the place where you prepare for finals and get work done shouldn’t give you any additional stress. You should be able to work in a place that relaxes you and calms your academic fears. The way you customize your study space is up to personal preference, but make sure to create a setting that makes you feel motivated and calm at the same time. Whether you like complete silence or music, staying in your room or venturing off-campus, a cup of tea or a bottle of water, — get your space set up before you start to study. Eliminate distractions like texts and social media, then make sure you have all the materials you need to both work hard and keep calm.
I hope by following these four tips, you will have productive study sessions and academic success. Good luck during these next few weeks!
