Hi guys! I was just taking a little finals study break and it prompted me to make a list of some tips for efficient study during finals week. Getting to the end of finals week can feel like a marathon for your brain but once you figure out what best helps you to get in maximum study time, it gets better each semester. Here are some tips I find helpful during finals:

#1: Stand up once every hour for 5 minutes! It’s been shown that sitting for long periods of time can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes… yikes! During finals week you can be pretty stationary for most of the day so even if I work out I try to take mini standing breaks. I also have found that it makes me less fidgety.

#2: Coffeeeeee. Unfortunately finals week turns me into a needing coffee everyday kind of person even though I’m usually not!

#3: Candy. This tip contradicts my first one. But it’s very important to have some form of candy during finals… Brainfood! 🙂

#4: Take a break when you need a break! If you feel like your brain is turning into a pile of Jell-o it’s okay to take a little break and watch TV, go on a walk, exercise or just hang out and chat with friends. It helps keep you sane and make your actual study time more productive.

#5: Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode. You’re less tempted to keep checking it if it never shows you any alerts. Also, the frequent little interruptions from texts, emails, Snapchats, etc. can be more disruptive to your thought process than you think!

#6: Get Creative with your study spaces. I like to study at the Health Sciences Library just down the street from the college but with our finals week coinciding with the entire university, it can get crowded. Sometimes you have to find new places or study outside for some fresh air.

#7: SLEEP. If you’re good at running on very little sleep, props to you. I always do better on test day if I get a solid night’s sleep in.

#8: Figure out what works best for you and stick with it. Once you’ve got it down, it will make studying for finals a lot less stressful.

Okay, back to work. I hope these tips help you either now or in the future! I’ll update my blog with the exciting things that have been going on Opt II year after this week is over!