Catch Me, If You Can.

Entry 21

Guess who's baaaaaaaack? Yes, me, the guy who has just survived his first semester of college! Well, actually, the semester barely survived me because I completely obliterated everything, but yenno that doesn't sound as cool out loud (or in words, lol) than it does in my head. So anyways, while I could write about this semester in review and be super intuitive and pondering and deeply reflective, I've opened my mouth enough about school; you all get it, I love college. INSTEAD, I know some schools, both colleges and high schools, are going through finals this upcoming week, and it can be very stressful and emotional and overwhelming, like an educational Romeo and Juliet tragedy between students and their classes. Believe me, I've been there before; therefore, I've dedicated this entry as a crash course on how to survive finals. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor. 

1. GET SLEEP. Seriously, this is probably the most important time to be getting adequate sleep. People think this is the week to stay up all night and cram every note and fact inside your head. NO. You can't review effectively if you're constantly thinking about how badly you need sleep or if you're going to die from drinking 17 cups of coffee in two hours to stay up. You'll crash and burn during the test; study until you know you can no longer focus and then go to sleep. Aim for seven hours, and study again in the morning. Even if you don't have time in the morning, choose sleep. I promise that you know more than you realize.

2. STUDY IN SHORT BURSTS. While some people have more "study stamina", no one can sit down and study for four hours and expect to be able to focus the entire time. Personally, my attention span is about half an hour (thank you TV shows for setting up the cycle) and after that I have to do something else I find mentally stimulating or I just zone out into another dimension. Generally, studying it shorter burst helps with memorizing the material and then taking a break helps the information resonate rather than overloading your mind and causing unnecessary stress and breakdowns and everything else bottled up inside you. As long as it's not too long, breaks are perfectly fine. 

3. EAT. EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT. Your brain is working hard and taking time away from eating to study is just gonna make you distracted and hungry!!! Eat!!! Brain food is good!! It's okay to spend time to eat!!! Do it!!! 

4.  DON'T LET THE ATMOSPHERE OF FINALS STRESS YOU MORE THAN YOU NEED TO. I get it, people are frustrated and crying and planning to drop out every two seconds, but don't let the outside influences get to you. If you are confident with the material and feel like you're going to do well, don't doubt yourself or let anyone tell you otherwise. You know yourself best. Study until you feel confident, and then focus on staying rested and in the swing of things during finals week. 

5. FIND A STUDYING TECHNIQUE THAT WORKS FOR YOU. Whether its flashcards or color coding or cornell note style, find what works for you and use that to your power. It may be the same for all subjects or it could be different for every single one, but it's up to you to take the time to figure it out. 

When it comes down to it, the power is yours. The time, the energy, and the commitment are all dependent upon you. Everyone has the ability to succeed, but not everybody acts on it. Make sure to use your time wisely and to take care of yourself. Best of luck from me, I have full faith you will all do great.