Juliana's Blog: Preparing for Finals Week

Ciao!

Well, it's officially finals week, St. Mike's! Right now I'm studying for my Italian final that's on Tuesday. Luckily for me, that's my only final exam this semester! For investigative reporting we just had to write a feature article, and for photojournalism we (obviously) did a photo project. So, that means that all of my studying efforts are going towards learning this awesome language.

Here's my (updated) guide on preparing for finals:
(check out my post from last year here)

1. Do something fun and not school-related during the weekend before finals week. It's the perfect time to get away from the books before that's all you can focus on in the next few days. For me, this meant heading down to Church St. with my friends and doing some shopping!

2. Go see the comedian! This is an annual (FREE) event at St. Mike's, and this year we had John Hodgman come to give us a few laughs before the stress of final exams! (He's the PC guy from the Mac commercials) I can't think of a better way to relax and have some fun before the most stressful week of the semester.

He's on the left!

3. Alright, it's ALMOST time to hit the books. But first, what is studying without a snack and some much needed caffeine? Grab a quick bite to go at the KnightStand for those late-night study sessions...I know I can't focus without a coffee by my side!

4. Pick a study space that works for you! Do you like to have a lot of people around when you're studying? Go to the group-study floor in the library...or maybe even set your study space up at a table in Alliot. If you need complete silence, head to the cubbies in the basement of the library or try to snag a private room in the academic buildings. Personally, I either go to the children's room in the library or one of the rooms in the academic buildings. Usually I have a friend come with me, and this time we were able to get a big circle table room all to ourselves in St. Ed's to "camp out" in for a long night of studying!

Galya at our circle table in St. Ed's!

5. It's all about the atmosphere when it comes to studying. Music can be a big part of that. I like to put on relaxing classical music while I'm chaotically flipping through flash cards and taking pages of notes (they even have a "classical for studying" station on Pandora radio)...it's a great way to keep a calm environment when you're freaking out inside! For some reason, classical music always makes me feel more intellectual too...

6. STUDY! Yes, it's inevitable...stop procrastinating and hit the books! Flip through all of those flashcards you made over the semester, have a friend quiz you on vocab, or even write out notes on the chalkboard/dry-erase board if that's your style. I always end up doing a little of everything...

7. Take a break. Get your heart pumping and those endorphins flowing. Going to the gym, or even for a short walk, will put you in a better & less stressed mood. Hey, you can even stay right in that classroom and put on the new Ke$ha song to dance around to without any shame. I'm definitely going to do that now, why didn't I think of this sooner...

...and then get back to studying!

There are definitely a few things to avoid (which you probably already know)...

-All-nighters (oops, currently guilty)

-Waiting until the last minute to cram for an exam. Really, this never ends well.

-Staying logged into Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Being reluctant to hit the "log out" button has cost me hours of useful study time in the past.

-Sitting somewhere with too many distractions (if you're easily distracted, like me). So, basically the comfy chairs in the Dailey Room that look out over campus are off-limits, people watching is way too easy there...oh, and Alliot is absolutely a no-go.

-For that matter, don't sit with someone who can't focus. If your best friend won't stop talking, you're not going to get anything done.

-For me, listening to "weekend music" is a bad idea. Anything that makes me want to get up and dance is totally off-limits. Save that for your study break!

-Trying to multi multi multi task. For example, I'm currently trying to write this blog, study Italian, plan out the rest of my week, and daydream about studying abroad in Italy all at the same time. Nothing is getting done...well, except this fabulously informative post :)

-Freaking out. Just remember, even though it's a final exam, it doesn't define your college career. There will be more, so don't psych yourself out!

...and whatever you do, just don't be this person...