Eight tips to get us through the rest of the semester and finals

As the semester is nearing an end and finals are quickly approaching it is easy for students to become overwhelmed by all the pressures school puts on us. It is particularly difficult for community college students considering that there are usually extra pressures on us, including working part-time or full-time, having or caring for children, and so much more. With all this on our plates before we even get to the holiday meals, here are a few tips to chew all you bit off this finals season and more.

1. Sleep is more important than ever.

As previously mentioned, community college students have extremely busy schedules, and with little downtime. Sleep is usually what suffers the most. We’ve all heard the importance of getting 8 hours of sleep a night, but for some of us it’s almost unrealistic. My best advice is get as much sleep is as you can eve if it is not a full eight hours. Six or seven hours can make a huge difference versus only five and will help you be more alert and retain more information in your classes and when you study.

2. Remember the clichés.

We’ve all heard them around this time, eat three meals a day, make time for yourself, keep a schedule etc. And while yes, these are clichés, they all do ring true around this time. Eating three meals a day gives you the energy you need to get through the day, and try to avoid the easy, cheap energies like sugary cereals and mac and cheese.Go for something more substantial that will keep your vigor up and mind active.

Making time for yourself of course is difficult but having time to do something other than study or something you are obligated to do is super important to recharge your batteries and keep you from going insane.

Making a schedule is easy; sticking to it is the hard part, because life can easily get in the way. Just do your best to have a general outline of what you want to get done in a day and try to get it finished.

3. Avoid Procrastination (as best as you can).

It’s no secret that a lot of us procrastinate, we can’t all be the type A student who gets it done three weeks before it’s due. That being said, it is a heck of a lot easier to start a project three weeks before its due and work on it a few times a week until its done rather than cramming it all in 1 night.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you are struggling or falling behind in a class or a project, go to your professors now. Do not wait until the last minute, your professors are usually more than understanding if you come to them when you first start to struggle rather than waiting until the end of the semester begging for extra credit or to makeup the work. Professors are people too and they understand that we all have busy schedules and struggle at times.

5. Over studying doesn’t help either.

Sometimes it might seem like the most viable option is to study for eight hours straight, however I’ve found this is not the most successful option. Generally breaking up my studying into two or three-hour blocks at a time has been far more fruitful in my test results than trying to study for eight plus hours at a time.Taking breaks in between studying so you can process what you’ve learned as well as refresh your mind is important when studying as well.

6. Remember the big picture.

It can be hard when your studying for one huge exam, or working on a project for a class that isn’t even in your major to remember why you’re doing all this, the late nights and the long days. Just keep in mind that it is all for a bigger cause. One day you will have your degree and be able to get the job of your dreams making an impact on the world however you see fit. Focusing on the problem at hand will help you get through the day by day but remember the big picture will help you get through the degree and know why it’s all worth it.

7. Pat yourself on the back.

Give yourself credit for what you’ve accomplished so far, you can’t stay motivated for the future if you don’t take a second to look back on what you have already done. You’re doing your best and you deserve to take a minute to reward yourself for that!

8. It’s almost break.

Winter break is almost here, so if nothing more is going to motivate you to get through your finals and the rest of the semester than a long winter break, than here it is! Winter break is less than a month away now, believe in yourself! Remember these eght helpful tips when studying for your final exams and preparing to wrap up the semester and the end of 2018. Our time at Northern Essex is almost over for this semester so make the best of it while you can.

Winter break is less than a month away now, believe in yourself!