Finals week can be an intense time for students. From exam reviews to flashcards, studying for eight exams can be an anxiety inducing experience. Here’s five easy ways to help reduce final exam stress.  

Time management: 

It’s important to not overwhelm yourself when finals come around. Balancing school, after school activities and studying gets stressful. Plan out your week with everything you have going on and from there look at when you have free time to study. Using time at school such as leopard time, free time in classes, or coming in before or after school to review for exams, can be an easy way to use your time efficiently. 

Give yourself breaks:

Studying for a semester’s worth of a topic can get overwhelming. Try studying in intervals like 30 minutes of studying followed by a 10 minute break. Giving your mind time away from the topic for a few minutes can help with your ability to focus and overall productivity. It’s important not to get burnt out when preparing for exams. 

Avoid procrastination:

Procrastination adds another level of stress during finals that is unnecessary. Make sure to get all assignments turned in on time, so there is enough time to prepare for finals. Remove distractions from your workspace to stay focused on your work. Studying should be broken up into portions so as to not cram it all in one day. Avoid procrastinating your studying and assignment due dates to reduce stress, stay focused and on top of your work. 

Sleep:

Getting enough sleep is important to staying focused on exams and studying. Sleep gives your brain the break it needs to process and retain information. Aim for eight hours of sleep every night to stay well rested. Problem solving and decision making are improved with sleep, overall aiding stress reduction. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help:

Not understanding a topic can be very stressful. Don’t be afraid to ask a teacher or friend for help on a subject. Going in for tutorials to get an in depth explanation helps reduce stress. Practicing the difficult subject helps with confidence and prepares you for the exam.