By Catharine Runion · Community Editor
Congratulations: You’ve done it. You’ve made it to the end of the fall semester. All that lies between you and a long, cozy Christmas break are a couple of measly finals.
If you’re a freshman, though, those “measly” finals might be looming over your head in a big, big way. Midterms were one thing, but now you’ve got final projects coming out of your ears and exams galore. How does one deal with such things?
Never fear: As a senior in my very last semester here, I’ve got you covered. Here are my top tips and study hacks to help you make it through your first round of final exams.
1: Pace yourself.
As much as it feels like you need to lock in for 12 hours straight, you really shouldn’t; you need to be focused on quality, not quantity. And if you’re not taking breaks, it’s going to show in your exam scores.
The most important parts of studying are actually taking brain breaks and getting good sleep. Studying all night is (almost) never worth it. Start small — 30 minutes of quality work and 10 minutes of “off” time —and adjust as needed. If you need a break, check out “What’s fresh at the Grove” this week to give you some ideas.
2: Focus Friend.
If you’re struggling to get off Instagram Reels, download the app “Focus Friend.” It’s an app developed by Hank Green that can lock down all the non-essential apps on your phone. The idea is not to interrupt your friend, a bean whom you can customize, while he or she knits socks. Check it out — I promise it actually works.
3: Rewrite your notes.
This is especially helpful if you take notes by hand. If you have time, rewrite your notes by hand; if you don’t have much time, retyping all of your notes is seriously helpful when it comes to crunch time. It reminds you of some of the things you wrote out in the early weeks of the semester, and the physical action of writing it out locks the information in your memory.
4: Quizlet, if you have it. Or just flashcards.
I have ongoing beef with Quizlet. It used to be my greatest asset. I got through all my Latin vocab in high school with Quizlet’s Learn function, but then they locked it down. If you or a friend have Quizlet Premium, that’s basically the best possible way to study. If you don’t, like the rest of us plebeians, write out some flashcards.
5: Switch phones with a friend.
One more tip if you struggle getting off your phone: Find a friend and switch phones with them. I’m not talking about putting your phone on the other side of the table: I’m talking about giving that friend your phone. No doomscrolling if you don’t even have your phone.
6: Don’t study in your bed.
I’m particularly guilty of this. I like studying in my room, so often that means that I’ll sit doing work in bed, and I bet you can guess where that gets me! I end up getting too comfy, and off I go to sleepy town…
If all of these have failed you, here are some last-ditch efforts, gathered anonymously from students and homeschool moms:
“Study on a treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike.”
“Don’t.”
“Listen to the Coconut Mall soundtrack from Mario Kart on repeat.”
“I don’t allow myself to text my boyfriend back until I finish the thing that I’m working on.”
“Read things in an accent, it helps you pay more attention to the words.”
“Watermelon Red Bull and ginger ale in a sugar-rimmed glass with the James Bond soundtrack.”
“I drink a lot of water and then try to work for as long as I can before I have to pee.”
“Phonk music and a special thinking hat (I used a crocheted wizard hat).”
“Time-lapsing myself so that I don’t go on my phone!”
“If you save it till the last minute it only takes one minute.”
“I snack excessively so that I’m physically doing something.”
“I make up dance routines to remember stuff.”
“Get crippling anxiety that you won’t be able to complete it all in such a short time. Works for me!”
“Make every word into a song. Rap songs work best!”
