Tips for Making it Through Finals

By Colton Hattersley, EPPS Blogger

Finals are now underway, and everybody is struggling to get the best grades possible on their various exams. The recent IcePocalypse, as I so endearingly like to call it, made me remember one very important fact about this month – CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, the holiday season is a great time to relax and enjoy your friends and family, but the stress of finals week causes us to forget that there is a great opportunity within our grasps. To ensure that you get into the holiday spirit even before Winter Break, here are a few tips:

 1.      TAKE A BREAK TO DECORATE – much of our time spent studying occurs in our dorms or apartments. One way to keep in spirit is to decorate your room during one of your study breaks! The environment in which you study has an effect on your overall performance, so add some holiday cheer! Buy some lights to hang on your ceiling, put up a stocking and adorn the walls with candy canes.

2.      STOCK UP ON HOLIDAY SNACKS – we all tend to skip a meal here or there to maximize our study time, relying instead on the snack foods we have in our rooms. Another way to embrace the magic of the holiday season is to stock up on holiday snacks. Drink your favorite holiday drink, whether it is hot chocolate or egg nog, and munch on a candy cane or gingerbread cookie. Not only do they taste good, but studies show that sucking on a mint while working increases concentration, which is good for studying.
3.      LISTEN TO HOLIDAY MUSIC – many people have become dependent on some external noise to study with. For those of you who can, studying with Holiday Music is another way to fill yourself with holiday cheer. Make a playlist on Spotify or just YouTube your favorite songs of the season so that, while studying for your finals, you can feel cheery.

If all else fails, remember the advice of Buddy the Elf: The best way to spread holiday cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Happy Holidays everyone, stay safe!