4 helpful tips for staying afloat during finals week

With the end of the school year fast approaching and finals just around the corner, it is now crunch time for many Shippensburg University students.

Assignments are beginning to pile up and with deadlines right around the corner and it can seem like you are in over your head.

Add in the massive amount of studying needed for exams and it can be overwhelming.

However, by following these simple tips to become a more efficient student, you will have an easier time dealing with the stress surrounding finals and be successful with your exams and assignments.

Create a to-do list

As cliché as it sounds, making a simple list of all your assignments and upcoming exams can really help. Not only will it help you visualize what needs to be done but it can assist with organizing your schedule to complete each task.

Use an agenda

There are online resources that you can use to better plan out your work schedule.

Sites such as mystudylife.com and setmore.com are created specifically for students to manage their calendar and can link up with other programs to create customizable alerts for your classes. Not to mention they are free to use.

Set aside break times

It can be easy to get sucked into the endless void of studying, reading and typing but setting aside time for breaks can help immensely.

It gives your brain time to reset and allows you to go back to work with a fresh set of eyes.

A common strategy used is 30 minutes of work followed by a 10-minute break. This ensures that you have plenty of time to complete your work, but also some rest to pull yourself back together after.

Communicate

with others

During these stressful times it is important to have a friend group or family members to reach out to if you are feeling worried.

Sitting down and having an honest conversation to air your feelings can seriously help your mental state this time of the school year.

Parents, siblings and other students have been in your shoes before, so they can calm you down and provide the support you may need to power through your last bit of work.