Mia Romano ‘27
EE Staff Writer
Now that the year has come to a close and our finals week has officially begun, it’s important to remind ourselves how to take care of ourselves while studying for finals.
Remember to eat full meals and drink plenty of water. Food is fuel for your body. If your body is low on fuel, it won’t be able to think and work as well as you will need it to. The same thing goes with water. If your body is dehydrated, your brain will not perform as well. Full meals with protein and vegetables with plenty of water to drink are better than junk food and energy drinks.
Speaking of energy, remember to get at least 8 hours of sleep. It’s not worth pulling an all nighter to cram for an exam that you will be too tired to do well. Without sleep, you will be more tired, less motivated and have trouble remembering and thinking. Basic terms, concepts and key ideas you have been working with all year will suddenly become confusing, making it really difficult to do well on your exam. Compromising your whole final for some small details is not worth it. Go to bed. You’ll do much better.
Take breaks. Studying is a lot and it can be very tiring. Remember to give your brain a break and take small study breaks to do activities you really enjoy, maybe that’s playing an instrument, listening to music or playing a sport. Schedule out your free time so that you can see friends, family and spend time out in nature. Stay away from doomscrolling this week, as it can make it harder to go back to studying and you will more than likely spend more time on it than you originally planned.
Don’t give up on your period 8 exam just because it is the last exam and you’re mentally done. Finals aren’t easy nor are they fun, but you have worked hard all year, don’t let it go to waste. You’re going to have to take the exam anyway, might as well do well. Review for it, do practice questions, treat it like all of the other exams you took in that class this year. You worked hard on those, just do it one last time.
Finally, remember to breathe. You have worked hard all year, you’ve got this. This year was not easy. Finals are not easy. You’ve done so well and you have learned so much, not just in the classroom, but about life and about yourself. Work hard and everything will work out. One test does not define you, but what you do to prepare does. Grades are important, but skills are essential. Being a hard worker will carry you through life, much more than an exam will. At least no matter what happens, as long as you do your best, you can know that that was the absolute best that you could do. So prepare well, do your best and remember: it will all be over soon. It’s the final lock-in of this year. You’ve got this.
Feature Photo Courtesy: Harvard Health Publishing