How To Study For Finals

I’ve been busy studying and what not.

Mainly “what not” with a little “studying” on the side.

Anyway, here’s a list of my fail-safe ways to ace your finals and not go crazy in the process

1. Time management.

            The most important thing about studying for finals is to know how to properly procrastinate. What I like to do is start studying about a week before so that I trick myself into thinking I have plenty of time. The first day or so of this “studying” is simply going through my notes and tearing out all the pages of doodles and drawing up a few note cards. I really like to use notecards because I have the illusion of doing something useful with my time but I’m essentially copying what’s already in my notes onto a smaller piece of paper. Up until the day or two before the final, I take my notebooks and books and note cards and liter them around my body so I feel like I’m accomplishing something. Then, I like to read over my note cards with a look of utmost concentration on my face. I really feel like I’m getting something out of it even though I couldn’t tell you a single word I'm reading because I’ve been listening to Tegan and Sara (remember us?) on my iTunes.

            This method is awesome because the day or two before the final you think to yourself “HOLY SH!T MOTHER F@CKER I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING” and buckle down and actually study. Works like a charm.

2. Take breaks.

            I know a lot of people that study for hours and hours at a time without taking a break (*cough* my roommate, Michele) I, unfortunately, am not a mutant creature born in a tragic lab accident with radioactive elements (don’t worry, Michele, your tail is hardly noticeable). Since I can’t study for hours on end, I built myself a rewards program. For instance, if I read ten pages of something boring, I allow myself to go on facebook for 10 minutes. Or if I make an outline for an essay I have to write, I get to mess around looking at funny pictures on pophangover.com for 30 minutes. Or if I review a few important theories for a class, I let myself watch a movie. Or if I study two note cards, I reward myself with no more studying for the whole day.

            Or something along those lines. 

            You just have to  find a way to keep yourself motivated to study and if that means doing things that aren’t studying… Well, do what you have to do.

 My roommate, Michele. Don't laugh at her.

3. Never say “no”

            Maybe you, unlike me, have some self control and will power. Maybe you normally don’t allow yourself caffeine or fatty foods or don’t let yourself stay up after midnight. Studying for finals is your chance to partake in all of these things. I typically only allow myself to have 2 cans of Mountain Dew a day (ps if you’re saying “ONLY two???” I would like to wave my middle finger in your direction). During finals though, I need to be able to stay up and focused for hours (as noted in tip 2; pophangover.com won’t search itself). The best way to stay focused and study is to give in to absolutely any whim you have. That means I’ve been mainlining Mountain Dew for the past week and I’ve never felt better (minus the weird twitching in my leg, constant throbbing headache, and blurred vision in my left eye—unrelated, I’m sure).

4.DGAF

            Ah yes, the old college fall back. The best way to not get worked up about finals is to simply not give a f@ck. I typically DGAF about most things but, during finals week, I spread my DGAF umbrella to include pretty much everything.

So I have a two hour cumulative final which is 40% of my final grade? DGAF.

So my sociolinguistics final requires that I am prepared to write long essays on six possible topics even though we will only write on two? DGAF.

So I need to write an essay comparing and contrasting four unrelated authors (compare: they are all dead. Contrast: everything else)? DGAF

See, don’t you feel better already?