Ninety-Two

Day Ninety-Two:  To Study or To Procrastinate

My entire time in highschool I was so stressed about exams and how much they were worth and how they meant the end of one semester but the beginning of another, and coming to University I really only got super wrecked for the exams for things outside of my majors (Nutrition, Psychology) and for the English and Theatre (ha-ha) exams and finals the pressure to succeed exists but I always feel more confident, especially if the readings are done and I’ve prepared properly.  I thought I’d outline how I prepare for my finals as this is the last week of class and finals begin on Monday!  Maybe this will help someone else study, or motivate me to not procrastinate as much as I usually do (maybe tomorrow I’ll write on my procrastination tips for exam week!).  Enjoy!

1.      Create the routine before I begin.  I always write down about a week in advance (today was the day I sat down and started the schedule for next week) and wrote the exact time frames I would be studying and the appropriate break times.  These plans usually change and are only followed vaguely, and also do not include grocery shopping trips or surprise dinner outs due to no food, but they are manageable when it comes to an arts degree in my experience!

2.      Routine!  I set my own routine for each exam and give myself a standard amount of time and effort that I should be using.  For example for every exam I give myself two full days prior to the exam day from 10am until 10pm to study, and before or after those times I don’t really look at it.  This changes depending on the violent nature of exams as some can be trickier than others, but for the most part the two days before the exam are spent in the same spot, doing the same things I have all semester in order to properly prepare myself to go through this massive final.

3.      Set Myself Up.  I usually stay in my room for exam prep as I am more inclined to do it in sweatpants and listen to my own music as loud or as quiet as I wish, but I know a lot of my friends choose the library as it is kind of free from distractions and more stable environment.  During my exam period I force my room into comfortable-focused area’s, and provide myself with the same music every period.  I usually have a cosier chair at my desk, lots of chocolate and water, and always a reward for after the studying day is over.  This routine-setting for every term really helps my body get used to the studying that is about to happen, which creates a more productive environment in general.

4.      Music!  I write papers to Zeppelin, edit and research to casual soft artists like Donovan or Regina Spektor, and I study for exams with my surefire key to focus:  iTunes radio: the classical channels.  This sounds sort of silly for someone who properly learns to classic rock and non-invasive indie folk, but the movie soundtracks and soft ambient instrumental really get me into the non-distractive “zone” (as Jude calls it) in order to properly study.  I’ve done it since first semester, and I intend to continue listening until the end of my degree’s.

5.      Eat.  Eat.  Eat.  I know a ton of people who don’t eat properly over the exam period and I am caught up in this by the end as well, but I try to stock up as much before it starts just so that when I know I won’t be motivated to get out of the zone something is there that’s relatively healthy and will fill me up.  I usually go and buy a ton of apples and fruit because for some reason if I’m not eating specific junk food fruit is the next thing I want to eat.  It’s easy to chew on semi-hands-free during an intense study session but also is yummy!  I also enjoy nutella and Fruit Loops which are drastically less healthy but super fun.  If you’re looking for something neat I love nutella on apples and banana’s, combine the two!  Or I buy a tub of vanilla sorbet and have raspberries on it…  Or cookies, but cookies are a necessity at all times of the term, not just exams.  I also recommend tons of water, because something I’ve noticed is that no one pays attention to their hydration (most of the time) but during exam study period in particular, I don’t want anyone passing out without my warning to potentially change their water bottled status!  I should move on now.

6.      Breaks…  ARE IMPORTANT!  They are.  For coffee, for tea, to get out of the house or library, to actually prepare a meal, to watch Netflix, TO SLEEP (Judith), to cry to call your mom whatever really floats your boat, don’t work for twelve hours straight and just sleep to get up and do it again.  You aren’t supposed to be killing yourself over these, you’re supposed to be learning, so when you feel like you just can’t focus ANYMORE or you need a little time to let off steam, just go for it.  Take short breaks (ten minutes) or longer (an episode of Community) or have dinner with a friend, it’s beneficial to you if you are focused and motivated instead of trolling tumblr for two hours when you should be memorising terms. 

7.      Find What Works For YOU!  I guess this is the most important one, because the above list works for me but might not work for you although they are meant to remind you of things that are important during exam week, and less of a step-by-step guideline.  I shouldn’t be saying must because I don’t have too many finals this term (although a few are practical or papers that I’ve been working on for weeks so I’ve been in “finals week” for quite some time now) but I just want everyone to try to not to get discouraged.  I’ve been a bit discouraged lately, and pulling yourself out of that alone is hard, trust me, so don’t isolate yourself over this exam period and try to find something that works for you.  The study balance is hard to identify and accept and embrace but once you do it becomes a better atmosphere for you and everyone around you.

Good luck everyone!

x