I may earn a commission when you buy through links on the site at no extra cost to you. By using the links, you are helping support College EDC, and I genuinely appreciate your support.
The Best Tips for Surviving Finals Week
Endless hours of studying, constant stress, and little to no sleep — that’s pretty much how you can sum up finals week for most college students. Whether you take finals early or at the very end of your semester, they’re never a fun time.
Finals week is one of the easiest times in college to stress out and become overwhelmed, especially if you have exams that cover everything you learned in an entire course. Spending dozens of hours studying or writing papers for finals with no sleep is mentally and physically exhausting. What follows is usually total lack of motivation and burnout.
This guide breaks down how students can successfully navigate through finals week without sacrificing their mental and physical health. It covers the different types of finals students will likely see at college, along with important tips to ensure they’re fully prepared and have the best opportunity to pass with flying colors.
Types of College Finals
College finals can range anywhere from papers and projects to exams and presentations. Cumulative exams that cover all the content from a college course are usually the most common, but it mainly depends on two factors — your major and the professors you have. The professor will decide if a final exam is in person, online, or take home.
Cumulative exams tend to be the most grueling because they require so much studying and memorization. When the day to actually take one of these exams rolls around, students are usually so burnt out from studying that they have a hard time focusing on the exam itself.
Final papers are also common in a lot of college classes. Most of my general education courses (humanities, math, science, technology, and social and behavioral science) had a final paper I had to write. Sometimes it would be a simple reflection essay, other times it would be a lengthy research paper.
In fact, my entire college composition class was focused around writing one large research paper. Either way, you can expect a final paper to have some type of writing prompt to test the knowledge and skills you’ve learned throughout the course.
Additionally, you might see individual or group-based projects that count as finals. Sometimes professors might have several project options and/or topics that students can choose to work on. A presentation or PowerPoint may be required for final projects as well.
Finals Week Tips
Unfortunately, many of the common college methods for surviving finals week, like plagiarizing, procrastination, and high doses of caffeine, can be very detrimental to a student’s academic success.
It’s important to avoid these type of methods not only during finals week, but throughout your entire time at college. Below, you’ll find smart and effective tips that will properly prepare you for all the challenges of finals week.
1. Read Your Syllabus
Your syllabus is basically a roadmap for an entire course. It should breakdown everything you’re going to be learning, the assignments you’ll have to do, and have important information regarding a course’s final. It’s a resource you should look at regularly so you can stay aware of due dates and understand assignments better.
Syllabi will also tell you about materials you’ll need, grading polices, professor office hours, class schedules, and more. Taking time early in the semester to review all the information on a syllabus will help you stay organized and manage time more efficiently throughout the course. Preparing for finals all starts with your syllabus, so use it wisely.
2. Create a Study Schedule
During finals week, it’s essential you have a structure to follow when it comes to studying. I recommend creating a schedule at least a week in advance of finals so you can start studying early.
This would be a good time to check your syllabi for the dates of finals so you can study on days you don’t have one. You’ll also want to figure the exact time for each one of your finals. This way you can schedule specific times to study everyday during finals week.
With a solid study schedule implemented in your daily life, you’ll be able to study much more productively. This will allow you to perform better on your finals and increase your confidence. If you don’t like following a strict schedule, you can develop a more flexible routine for studying.
3. Find Good Study Spots
Good study spots should be places where you can completely focus on studying without distractions bothering you. On campus, places like the library or empty classrooms are perfect for studying. Off campus, you can try a coffee shop, a local library, or somewhere quiet outside, if it’s not too cold out.
These are all great study spots, but it ultimately comes down to what works best for you. If you can concentrate the best in your dorm, then study there. If you want to study somewhere outside but don’t want to go far, then find a table or bench around campus to sit at. Wherever you choose to study, make sure it’s a place that allows you to concentrate.
4. Stay Organized
Being organized in college is always important, but a time when it’s absolutely crucial is during finals week. Imagine trying to study for finals when all your study materials are completely unorganized. Wasting time trying to find notes and other papers in your messy dorm or cluttered backpack is just going to increase your stress levels.
Having a schedule or routine that you can stick to during finals week is major, but you need to make sure other key components of your life — like your dorm room, backpack, and laptop — are organized as well. There’s also a few useful online tools you can use for adding some organization into your life.
Evernote is an invaluable tool for organization that combines all your notes, files, and any other study materials in one convenient location. Todoist is another excellent tool for staying organizing and increasing productivity. You can use Todoist to plan out your entire week, create to-do lists, keep track of and filter out tasks, and more.
5. Find Time to Sleep
Sleep plays a key role in determining your overall success in college. Without proper sleep, your quality of life will suffer. It doesn’t matter how prepared you are, how hard you study, or how organized you are — if you don’t get the sleep you need to recharge, you won’t perform well on your finals.
I know it’s hard trying to sleep when you’re stressed out and feel the need to constantly study, but trust me, you’ll benefit a lot more from getting a full night’s sleep rather than staying up all night studying.
6. Stay Hydrated
It’s no secret how important hydration is. 60% of our bodies are made up of water, so it makes sense why we need it to function properly everyday. In order to keep your mind sharp and your body feeling good during finals week, you need to drink sufficient amounts of water; eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day is recommended.
One of the best perks of staying hydrated is increased energy levels, which is important when putting in those long study sessions. Along with that energy boost also comes increased motivation, improved cognitive performance, and even a happier mood.
Combine these benefits with proper sleep, and you’ll definitely be putting yourself in a good position to be successful during finals.
7. Eat Healthy Snacks
Keeping your body fueled is just as important as keeping it hydrated. An easy way to keep it fueled when finals roll around is with healthy snacks. Items like fruits, protein bars, nuts, and low-fat yogurts are all excellent options.
I know a slice of pizza or a cookie from your dining hall sounds more appetizing, but if you get in the habit of eating healthier snacks early on in the semester, you’ll end up getting used to them. Constantly going and buying snacks can be annoying, especially during finals week.
That’s why you should check out Cratejoy. They have hundreds of different food related subscription boxes that’ll get delivered to you every month. Their food & drink category has loads of different care packages, including speciality ones like gluten-free, paleo, and vegan. You’ll also have to problem finding candy or dessert boxes if you want to reward yourself after finals.
8. Ask Questions
Although it might not seem like it all the time, your professors are there to help you. Whether your final is an exam, a paper, or some sort of project, it’s always smart to ask your professor questions about it. Email them or talk to them in class about any material regarding the final.
If you find yourself struggling to understand the concepts being taught in class, you should schedule a time to sit down with your professor during their office hours. This way they can help guide you in the right direction and better prepare you for the final.
9. Take Breaks
Take breaks during finals week, your mental health will thank you. You’ll be surprised how much a relaxing walk around campus can improve your focus, boost your energy, and relieve some stress. Doing any type of physical activity, like working out or riding your bike, will help give you the energy you need to finish finals week strong.
Your breaks don’t have to be physical either. Go watch a quick episode on Netflix, listen to some music, or get some food. Taking breaks when you need to study or write a paper might sound unproductive, but it’s actually one of the best ways to increase your productivity.
10. Utilize College Resources
My college had a very helpful learning center for students to use when they needed any assistance with coursework. When preparing for finals, it’s never a bad idea to utilize your own college’s learning center or tutoring center. There’s a good chance the tutors there are students who are closer to graduating.
Some of them might’ve already took the same final exams you’ll be taking in a previous semester, so they’ll definitely be able to give you advice and help you study. Your college might even have a separate writing center, which can be used to improve writing skills and help revise papers.
11. Teach Your Friends or Roommates
The best way to fully master your knowledge on a certain topic is to teach it to someone. Once you’ve put in those countless hours of studying for a final, try to teach what you’ve learned to a friend or roommate. Only then will you know if you have a complete understanding of the material you’ve studied.
For example, if you’ve been studying for a biology final exam, try to teach someone what homeostasis is or the process of photosynthesis. The only way you’ll be able to teach someone about a topic is if you’ve learned it yourself, so make sure you pay attention in class, take good notes, and study frequently.
12. Use Flash Cards
Using flash cards to study is one of the most effective ways to retain information. The process of studying with flashcards forces us to dig into our memory, and retrieve answers to the subject we’re studying rather than reading the answers in a textbook.
This is referred to as active recall. Repeatedly recalling answers from your head helps retain information and actively stimulates your memory. Flash cards also forces us to use metacognitive strategies, which is basically the act of self-reflection.
Metacognition is when you have the ability and awareness to regulate your own thinking — this is another way to improve memory.
13. Stay Off Social Media
Social media is a huge distraction that leads to procrastination. And unfortunately, one of the worst times to procrastinate is during finals week. Social media will also cause you to be inefficient with your time and be unproductive.
Quickly checking your Snapchat or Instagram for a few minutes can easily turn into a hour or two of wasted time that you’ll never get back. That’s valuable time that you could’ve used editing a final paper or studying for a final exam.
