In years past, I would be providing you with a rigid schedule to help you through finals week. However, given that everything is different this year, I will instead be honest with you about my own schedule and encourage you to find your natural rhythm with studying.
One of the most important things to me when studying or preparing for an exam is timing. I find that I cannot bring myself to study seriously until I am under pressure, so I do the majority of my studying between 11:00PM and 5:00AM. This also prevents me, for some morning finals, from missing my exam. After the exams are finished, I will sleep, normally from 3:00PM to 9:00PM, at which point I start over. Some people naturally gravitate towards an “inverted” Circadian rhythm, and during finals, it’s important to fall into a natural pattern instead of a forced one. If you are cranky because you’re waking at 7AM badly-rested and irritated, you’re more likely to miss details in final questions or essay prompts, too. Instead, if you inverted that format, you might end up feeling more comfortable.
However, a lack of a rhythm sets you up for failure even further. If you’re falling asleep at 10PM and waking at 7AM on some days, but sleeping at 9:00AM and waking at 4:00PM on others, you risk confusing your brain with the passage of time. My best advice for finals season is to go with what feels normal to you, instead of what you think you should be doing.
In addition, reading can be broken up into manageable pieces by separating, organizing and rewarding behavior. You may have seen that some students use candy to motivate themselves to study. I use this and it is extremely effective if not a little patronizing. Seeing the page laid out and knowing that if I read three more pages, I can have a Jolly Rancher, is a good way to let me know that I am doing something useful and that there are little treats to make up for the miserable nature of speed-reading.
However you manage yourself during finals, please be sure to make just a little time for something you enjoy. You deserve a break even during something as stressful as exams.
Carrie King - Features Editor