Things You Need To Know: Learning the ABCs of Finals Week

Finals week… a time of all-nighters, anxiety, no socialization, and over-consumption of caffeine. The final stretch. The worst week of a college student.

Here are the ABCs you need to know for surviving finals week:

Appropriate amount of panic: enough to motivate you to study

Beyoncé: who else is going to get you through all-nighters? Putting Queen B on repeat will get you hyped up enough to make it through the night.

Crying: the finals breakdown is one of the first steps of acceptance. Just do it, but try not to get it on your papers because your professor will count off points for tear marks.

Day dreaming: … of good grades.

Eating: if you learned anything in that one biology class freshman year you know you’ll need food to give you energy to power through the week. (No, ice cream doesn’t count)

Fear: as reasonable as it is to be scared, NEVER let it show. Professors can smell fear. DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT!

Grades: they can hurt you or make you. The grades you make on your finals are more than often what you make in the class. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Hibernating: … in the library.

Internet: your lifeline, saving grace, and constant companion. Every college student (especially in the residence halls) will be fighting you for the best connection, make sure you get yours.

Justification: …yourself. “Okay, okay, okay, IF I get a 200 on my final I can actually make an A. You can do it you just have to AT LEAST make a 100 to pass and make up for THE WHOLE SEMESTER!”

Kissing: …your social life goodbye for the week. Peace out, girls scouts!!

Laughter: if you don’t laugh your stress away, you’ll just have to keep crying. And like I said before, your professors will probably count off points for that.

Motivation: or the lack of… Keep going, you can do it!

Netflix: BACK AWAY AND PUT YOUR ARMS WHERE THEY CAN BE SEEN! As much as you want to tell yourself you’ll just watch one episode, you know it is simply not true, so spare yourself the pain and just don’t do it. Unless you have the coolest professor ever, they’ll probably not accept a detailed research paper of why House of Cards is the best show. (But really, go watch it... I mean don’t do it…just get it over with)

Over and out: the semester is almost over, and you’re almost out of here. ONE MORE WEEK.

Pain: … is temporary, GPA is forever. Well, not necessarily but it helps to think so to give you motivation through the next week.

Qualifying for Dean’s List: or dreaming of the chances.

Relief: there’s nothing like having the ability to breathe again once finals are over. 

Just keep thinking of that first breath you’ll take again soon.

Study Guides: the ones that won’t save you. We often like to trust our professors when they say “you’ll do great, just know what’s on the study guide”. WHY DO YOU LIKE TO LIE TO ME!!!! WHY!!!

To-Do Lists: the list that continues to multiply itself as finals week approaches. Try to stay on top of things, without this essential organizer you might just not show up to your exams. Oops.

Ugly: embrace the unwashed hair, sweatpants, and the mysterious stains. Finals week is simply not pretty, whether it is emotional or physical. But please, brush your teeth.

Vicariously: …living through anyone who isn’t enduring the pain of finals you’re struggling with.

Waiting: for final grades. This is the point of the semester when you start looking up alternate careers. Don’t lose hope, I’m sure you’re good at something…

X: for all the marks your professor will leave on the final paper that took you approximately 100 hours, give or take a few.

Yelling: over and over and over and over again at your computer, at your parents, at your friends, at yourself, and simply at everything because why not?

Zzzz’s: ever heard of binge sleep? Yep, that’s right. Congratulations, Glen Coco, you made it.

Article by: Viviana Roqueta