By Skylar Bell Brenner, Entertainment Editor
As finals week quickly approaches, many students are sent into an overwhelmed panic. One of the hardest skills that many college students have to learn is how to prepare well for finals in order to finish the semester strong.
Many students work well in different study locations, such as coffee shops or with friends who will hold you accountable for staying on task.
Riley Smith, a senior at Hardin-Simmons University and a marketing major, loves many coffee shops around Abilene. However, he suggests trying out Maslow’s due to the amount of study space and quiet atmosphere the coffee shop offers. “It gives me some space to breathe and I can always take a break and people watch. Maslow’s has the best study vibe, most space and best lighting,” Smith said. Smith also suggests studying with a group of friends to make studying more enjoyable.
Braeden Price, a senior at HSU and a finance and economics major, agrees with Smith in studying in a location other than the library and studying with a friend to encourage the most productivity.
“Going to the library is usually a mistake because there are a ton of people there, and people are usually there to socialize instead because they are freaking out about finals and deal with stress that way. What I do is I find a person to study with, and we take each other’s phones, so we stay off our phones and study. Whenever we need a break, we just hang out with each other for a bit. It is best for your brain to study 50 minutes on and then 50 minutes off because otherwise you swamp your brain and can’t do anything,” Price said.
A common problem students face during finals week is lack of sleep. Due to hours of studying up to the very last minute and cramming a semester’s worth of learning material into their heads, students often struggle to take care of their physical health during this stressful week. This lack of sleep can cause students to not perform as well on their finals because their brain is not well rested.
If staying up all night to study is inevitable, Alyssa Butler, a sophomore psychology major, encourages students to take regular nap breaks in between studying late into the night. “If you need to pull an all-nighter, rather than working straight through the night, work for an hour, take a 20 minute nap and repeat. The brain works better when rested, even if it’s only for a little bit,” Butler said.
Jack Lowry, a sophomore biology major, shared his personal study tips to prepare best for his finals. “The first thing I do is go over any old tests I have, especially if the final is cumulative. I take note of the material I am comfortable with and the material I lack knowledge in and then I go back over the stuff I am not as good at,” Lowry said.
While finals week can be intimidating at first glance, there are many ways to prepare in advance to make the week less stressful than it might otherwise be. Remember to study hard, but also take care of yourself and take breaks.