“Finals week is upon us. Everyone is buckling down on studying, stocking up on 5-hour energy drinks and coffee and preparing for a mental overload of information. But, does finals week always have to mean that the entire student body must turn into an over-caffeinated, over-worked entity? Certainly not.”
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Finals week is upon us. Everyone is buckling down on studying, stocking up on 5-hour energy drinks and coffee and preparing for a mental overload of information. But, does finals week always have to mean that the entire student body must turn into an over-caffeinated, over-worked entity? Certainly not.

De-stress and then

put your head in the books

Studying is obviously the biggest part of finals week. You make flash cards, you write and re-write every question that could possibly be on your 100 question anatomy final, and then you do it all over again for the next subject.

In order to be on top of your game and give yourself the best mental capacity possible, de-stressing is a key factor in allowing your studying to go as smoothly as possible.

The Student Recreation and Wellness Center offers general relaxation massages at a discount for students, with a 30 minute massage for $15, an hour massage for $30 and a 90-minute massage for $55.

Another soothing activity to take part in at the rec center is the Yoga Flow group exercise class that is offered on Monday from 12:15-1:00 p.m. and on Wednesday from 4:30-5:15 p.m. during finals week.

And, of course, the most important way to keep yourself de-stressed and on top of your game is to allow yourself to rest and get a full, eight-hour cycle of sleep.

Brain food and hydration

As college students, the majority of us find that the only logically way to survive during our hellish exam week is to pump caffeine, greasy, cheap food and cigarettes into our bodies.

This is not only not healthy, but it’s completely insane. So, fellow colleagues, I encourage you to walk away from that third round of energy drinks and candy bars and follow me into the land of H2O, protein and fruit.

To stay alert while studying and taking tests you must be hydrated, so instead of choking down fizzy, sugary energy drinks, loading your body with refreshing water is a key part in making sure you score an A on that last, gruesome test.

B-vitamins, fiber and vitamin C encourage a healthy nervous system and improve memory according to webmd.com, and all of these brain-boosting nutrients can be found in oatmeal, whole grains and berries, all things you should stock up on prior to or during next week.

The science of studying

Where, when and how long you study for will greatly affect the amount of success you can achieve next week.

First, you must figure out where you want to study. A distraction free location that is available when you need it with plenty of space is essential when choosing a place to study.

Double checking exam dates and locations are two of the most important things, but smallest things that are a part of exam week.

Know when your tests are and know how much study time each subject will take up now, as it could easily escape your mind during exam week.

Finally, figure out the range of importance of each test by deciding to spend your most energy on your hardest subject and the least amount of time on the easiest.

Yes, these are all things that seem to be common sense, but can be easily forgotten when we’re all scatterbrained and in the finals week zone.

More tips and information about studying can be found on the self-explanatory how-to-study.com.

You’re done.

Now, let’s celebrate

Woo hoo. Congrats, you’ve done it. You’re done with finals week, fall ’09. It’s winter break, almost a new year and some of you may even get the pleasure of graduating. So, what other way to commemorate the moment other than by doing something fun, or even relaxing.

Happy Hour is a college kid’s dream; it’s cheap, fun and is even better when karaoke is involved. If you’re done with exams on Wednesday, Barley House offers karaoke and drink specials and many of the Valley bars offer $1 draft beers.

If you get done with exams on Thursday and feel the need to dance out your stress-free body, the places you should rock-out in are located on Main street in Downtown Akron.

Get jipped on exam week and not get done until Friday? No worries, fun is on the way, and in the purest form. Everyone is out, everyone is done and happy that it will be fun, games and Christmas ale until school resumes.

If you’re completely worn out from the hectic days of studying and need a chill night, grab a couple of friends who are also in need of a zen time, Ben & Jerry’s, some movies and a spot on the couch and crash.

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