Five Tips for Surviving Finals

My final "finals" are right around the corner, I can hardly believe it!  I cannot believe I have been in school since I was 3-years-old and my last full week of school is already here.  In some ways I am ready to be finished with studying, writing papers and taking exams, but in other ways I am a little sad that this chapter in my life is coming to an end.  Since the semester ends in a few weeks, I thought I would share some tips that have helped me survive finals over the past four years.

1. Organize all notes | I cannot do anything unless I am organized.  Before every exam, I make sure all my notes are printed and organized.  Without being organized, I would not be able to focus on studying and reading.

2. Drink a Peppermint Mocha | When you're in the middle of a long study sesh, the best way to list your spirits is to drink a warm and tasty Starbucks coffee.  Not only will it help perk you up so you can keep studying, but a little bit of chocolate and peppermint will put you in the holiday spirit even when you're studying.

3. Find a cozy spot to study | I cannot study unless I find the perfect spot to camp out.  Sometimes it's the library, sometimes it's my kitchen table or desk in my room.  It all depends what mood I'm in and how much work I have to do...  I tend to get more work done at the library or Starbucks, but after hours sitting at the same table, I need a change of scenery so I'll go home and study at my kitchen table or with a warm blanket on my couch.

4. Make notecards | For certain classes notecards are the best way to study.  When your exam is fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice or true false a great way to help yourself remember key facts, terms and dates is to make notecards.

5. Make a timeline | At the end of the semester when all of my exams, projects and papers start piling up, I make a calendar of all the notes, chapters, papers, etc. that I need to study/review by a certain time.  I split up all of my work by day and do my best to complete each task by the designated time.  It is so helpful to have a timeline to keep track of what work needs to be completed by when.

*Check out my study tips*

How do you survive finals?

xoxo

organize, me : finals.

When exams roll around I try to stay super organized to lower my stress level.  I make a lot of lists and double and triple check to make sure I study all the correct material.  Don't you just hate it when you get to an exam and the questions look completely different then you expected!?  We've all (well at least I've) had those times when we felt like we could've studies a little more... and the one part we didn't study was like 50% of the exam.  That's why I've gotten so OCD about list making and boy does it help!

Each week I make a list of the homework, readings and lectures that I need to complete.  When one is completed I highlight it.  On Sunday night or Monday I go through my list and see what I may not have had time to complete the week before and I make my new list.  I try to not let readings and online classes get piled up, but occasionally I let something fall out of my mind and get put off...

I use a Lilly Pulitzer notebook to write to-do lists and homework assignments in.

 

For exams I write down all the chapters, lectures and readings on the test and mark each one off when I have studied it.

Aren't these Lilly Pulitzer stickys just adorable? They make studying a little brighter.

How do you stay organized during finals?

organize, me : self control.

Finals are in full swing.  If I didn't stay super organized during this time of the year, I would have a major panic-attack!  During the semester I make a million to-do lists, but when midterms and finals roll around I make even more... if that's even possible.  

Staying focused and organized is the only way that I survive school.  I am just not one of those people who can wait until the last minute or pull an all-nighter and do well.  That's just not me.

The Self Control app has been a lifesaver for me.  I get so easily distracted by Facebook, Twitter, blogging and pretty much anything non-school related.  There have been times that I have sat at the library for an hour before I've even cracked a book... not good!  That's where the Self Control app comes into play and boy does it help.

Self Control

 

Self Control allows you choose how long and what sites you want to block.  I typically turn it on for one or two hours, depending how much I need to get done and then give myself a 5-10 minute "reward" break and then turn it on again.

You can choose what sites to block by choosing Blacklist or you can block all sites, except ones that you select by choosing Whitelist.  Although, I have never had the guts to choose Whitelist... that seems like way to much of a commitment.

 

A time clock on the screen and at the bottom shows you how much time you have left.

 

If you "forget" don't worry, it won't let you get on blocked sites... even if you try!

Have you used Self Control?