But now I'm back (yay!) and posting about.... you guessed it, finals!
Reading period is a little bit of a weird time for me. We get a couple days off class to study (which I certainly don't take advantage of as much as I should) and prepare to take tests and submit papers. And then all of a sudden we take these huge tests and then leave while most of our friends are taking tests or have already left. It's a really anti-climactic way to end the term. Anyway, as I'm gearing up for finals, I've been thinking of the most effective ways to tackle the pile of work that lies ahead of me. Here are some tips:
- Prioritize: You can't do everything perfectly all the time. Prioritize your tasks by due date and importance. If something holds a lot of weight in one class that your grade isn't so stable in, work on that first.
- Plan: Write out a detailed plan of what you're going to do each day. It really takes the guesswork out of getting things done.
- List: Make lots of lists of what you need to get done. The act of crossing things off is really therapeutic and can motivate you to work harder.
- Relax: Take frequent breaks and do things that relax you. Watch an episode of a TV show, paint your nails, get coffee with a friend, go for a run. A few 3 hour work blocks are better than one six hour power session. And you'll retain more.
- Sleep: Go to sleep early and wake up early. Get as much work done as possible during the day. For whatever reason, I'm generally not productive at all during the night.
- Hydrate: Seriously- drink water. It's arguably almost as effective as coffee. Make sure to drink at least one glass of water for every cup of coffee/shot of espresso you drink because caffeine is super dehydrating (yuck).
- Focus: Learning to compartmentalize can be really difficult. It's easy to get distracted, so force yourself to block off time with no cell phone or Facebook so you can really get into your work. A few highly productive hours are far more rewarding than many slightly productive hours.
Good luck!
xoxo