As we approach the end of the semester, students are beginning to feel anxious at the thought of finals approaching.

After months of hard work, your grade comes down to one greatly-feared exam, the final. What makes it so stressful for students is that most finals are compacted into one long week which typically turns into a recipe for disaster.

Here are a few tips to help you survive finals week:

As elementary as this may sound, getting sleep is a necessity when preparing for a final. Pulling an all-nighter is the first mistake students make. Cramming information and pulling all-nighters cause the lethargic feeling on the day of exams, resulting in low scores.  

A brain without rest normally does not retain the same amount of information as a brain with copious amounts of relaxation. In addition, maintaining a set sleep schedule will better your chances of being rested and ready for your big day.

Another element that contributes to lower success rates is distractions. There is no way around it. We carry distractions around with us all day and even though it is unfair to say it is the cell phone’s fault, social media will become your enemy when preparing for finals.

Personally, there have been times when I have been on social media just to preoccupy the slower parts of my days. Even though it sounds excessive for most students to turn off their notifications for the entire week of finals, it might be a good alternative and act as a study break rather than a distraction.

One last piece of advice I will bestow upon you is: make friends with your classmates. You know that one kid that you thought was annoying for answering every question the professor asked in class? That’s your guy or gal.

Having study partners that actually feel confident about the exam or the course in general, will eventually rub off on you.  Additionally,  it will make you feel confident and relaxed knowing you are ready for the exam and are going to kill it.

Hopefully, with these quick trick and tips, you will feel confident taking your finals. We are all in this together Cougars. Let’s ace our exams and finish this semester strong! With that being said, I have one last question: Will you survive your finals week?