The dreaded finals week is among us and many students are studying until they are at a brink of a breakdown.

Finals often cause stress and emotions to run high for many sleep-deprived college students.  However, there are ways for students to study without as much stress.  Not stressing out during finals is key in order to perform well on tests, and in order to do that, students need to avoid stressing out.

First of all, relaxation is key.  Although studying may be the most important aspect of finals week, you have to remember to take a break in between.  So, there is actually a reason to watch Netflix during finals, however, that is only when you are taking a break from studying (even though binge-watching Netflix is the best).

Another thing to keep in mind is to start studying early.  Yes, this may be hard at first, but ultimately it will pay off in the end.  Knowing that you have memorized most of the material on your final before going to take it is an extremely satisfying feeling.  So instead of pulling two consecutive all-nighters in a row, start studying at least a week early.

Finally, make sure you have confidence going into your finals.  This will help you immensely when entering the test, and even if you don’t know everything on the test, anxiety makes the final that much worse.  Anxiety is Public Enemy #1 when it comes to test-taking and studying, so make sure you are taking the right steps in order to combat it during your test. That being said, mental health is always a priority before academics, so make sure you are taking care of yourself when studying for your exam.

Obviously, these tips (other than looking out for your mental health) do not mean that you are going to get As on all of your finals.  So study hard and make sure you don’t procrastinate too much!

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By Sara Stinner

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