9 Tips to Survive Finals
B R E A T H E
I know it’s really easy to freak out about pretty much everything: maybe you feel unprepared or that you don’t have enough time to study. Just stop. Breathe. And continue.
Don’t study too early or too late
In a survey of 3 Klesis Members, 100% said they regretted procrastinating. Don’t be part of that 100%. If you study too early in the week, you will get burnt out! It has happened to too many freshman pre-meds: I have witnessed it with my own eyes.
Stay Hydrated, stay healthy
In between all those coffee’s and red bulls, make sure you drink water! It’s important to stay healthy during dead week. Retain that water and retain that information, one in the same. Drinking too much caffeine will make you even more stressed. If you do drink too much caffeine, see tip #1
Don’t try to cram in EVERYTHING
Haven’t gone to lecture since week 2? Don’t try to cram in every single lecture and reading: you’ll get nothing out of it. Rather, focus on the main concepts to study for. If there are practice exams, do them and figure out what you need to improve on rather than trying to do everything.
Get out of Berkeley
Dead week is the perfect time to get out of Berkeley to go study somewhere different. A change of environment will actually help you feel better about studying (not proven). Plus, libraries are CROWDED. Maybe go to cafe 4 with some upperclassmen, or get a ride to HB (there’s free study snacks AND basketball for those much needed breaks). Another tip, nobody ever goes to DL during dead week. If you miss your DL home but are worried that people will study kill you, don’t fear! No one is ever there. (But also if there are people there when you want some quiet, don’t quote me)
Don’t study with study kills
According to many Klesis members, one of the biggest pro-tips is to not study with people you know will study kill you and make you less productive. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go places with them to study, but it means that when you study, you actually need to study. Study Kills are great for taking breaks, and those are very needed.
S L E E P
Sleep is SO important for you: it’s good for retaining information and for your health (see to tip #3). Try to not pull any all nighters: you have time to sleep.
Plan your time realistically
If you’re like me, you really hate schedules. However, I think dead week is the one time that planning your time and your days are important. Or, at least planning what needs to be done. Make sure you leave time for each class and take finals week into account too! Don’t just study for 1 class for the entire week and leave yourself 1 hour for a different. class.
Have fun
You have A LOT of time during dead week. This means that you have time to take study breaks and to do something fun! Go to Emeryville or SF with your peers, get brunch at cafe 3, go to yogurt park. Pro tip from some Klesis students: do fun things at the beginning or the end of the day so you can study for the rest of the day.
Don’t skip your DT!
I know it may be tempting to skip DT for 1 more hour of study time or 1 more lecture, but actually DT helps give you a break from studying AND helps to get your heart in the right place amidst all the studying.
Dead week is a fun time, but it’s also a time that studying needs to be prioritized. Make sure you spend it wisely. Ultimately don’t feel too stressed about finals, you can do it! Finals week won’t be the end of the world. And guess what? IT’S SUMMER AFTER FINALS. Good Luck and we’ll see you on the other side.
Ecclesiastes 3:1