My experience going through my first college finals is anything but ordinary. After a full week of preparing for exams in class, followed by a weekend of festivities in Indianapolis for the Big10 championship, I wound up with the flu. Unable to fly back to Iowa City, I drove all the way home to New Jersey with my family, just in time for the last week of classes. Here is how I survived my weird and unexpected finals week…

First, I emailed my TA’s to let them know what was going on. All of my TA’s were super understanding and told me they were there to help in any way they could. Luckily enough, all my finals were online, so I was able to take them from my home. Utilizing office hours and appointments with TA’s and professors is super helpful, especially when you’re unable to make it to class due to circumstances outside of your control.  

Then, once I was feeling better, I created a schedule to manage my studying time appropriately based on when my finals were scheduled. For example, I had mythology, microeconomics, and then math, so I studied in that order with an emphasis on mythology, then microeconomics, then math. It helped me stay organized and focus on the most imminent subject!

Lastly, I avoided burnout. It’s important to know your limits when studying. I always stop studying at least an hour before my final to decompress, let the information sink in, and give my brain a break. Those breaks are important to maximize performance on exams, so I 100% recommend that!

At the end of the day, the key to finals is focus and time management. Whether that is studying at a coffee shop, working out to alleviate stress, or late-night study sessions, it’s important to do what works for you. And here’s to a relaxing winter break!

Happy Holidays, and go hawks!