Finals week is soon approaching, and with it the inevitable string of all-nighters and days spend subsisting solely on coffee ad energy drinks. Here’s a few tips on how to prepare for and survive finals.
http://blog.golfnow.com/how-to-beat-the-summer-heat/
Get yourself a big water bottle. That one-dollar smart water from the convenience store works just fine. From here until your last exam, this water bottle is your best friend. You will take it everywhere you go and it will never be empty. Fill it with either water or some light unsweetened tea. With your eating and sleeping habits soon to be destroyed, and your stimulant consumption about to go through the roof, you need to stay hydrated. Dehydration can be dangerous. Don’t be that one kid who has to be hauled out of Strozier in a stretcher because you passed out.
http://www.oxfordlearning.com/tips-for-easier-studying/
I know sleep is but a thing of the past, but for the love of all that is good don’t study in your pajamas in bed. We want to minimize damage to your sleep schedule. Remind your brain that sleep time and study time are different. This will make it easier for you to actually sleep when the time comes and keep you from being super groggy when studying. Find a study spot. It can be your couch or a library or even a desk so long as it isn’t where you spend your time actually sleeping. Take frequent (short) breaks and try wearing the same perfume or chewing the same flavor gum while studying and taking your exam. It helps with your memory.
http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/mind-and-brain/napping-sleep-deprivation-11022015/
Quick naps are a great way to recharge between classes and study sessions. The trick to napping is don’t act like your about to turn in for the night. Keep your jeans on, don’t turn off all the lights, and stack your pillows so that you’re not lying down all the way. Recliners are great for this. This will help you take a light nap without slipping into REM sleep and feeling horribly groggy when you get up. The sweet spot is about fifteen minutes. Don’t sleep more than thirty or you’ll knock out. Even if you don’t nap just relaxing and meditating a bit will go a long way towards keeping your stress down.
http://www.self.com/food/2014/10/baked-oatmeal-recipes-slideshow/1
I know a lot of us have already gone into hardcore study mode, but I want you all to take half a day and prep some quick grab-n-go meals. You’ll perform better if you eat well. Trust me. Go to the store and buy two big boxes of your favorite protein/breakfast bars. Make sure you buy enough so that you have at least three bars a day. There have been stretches where I sustained myself solely on coffee and protein bars, and it wasn’t great but I wasn’t constantly hungry. They’re easy to throw in your bag and eat wherever.
Get yourself some dried fruit and or granola. It’s sweet, it’s versatile, and it is so much better for you than candy. The wonderful thing about them is you can use them to flavor the baked oatmeal I’m about to tell you how to make. (or you could check out these other recipes too)
This is a super simple recipe that will give you a handheld breakfast for about two weeks if you store them right.
Ingredients:
i. 3 cups Rolled Oats (not that instant stuff. The one that comes in the big cardboard cylinder for like $4 at publix)
ii. 1 Cup sugar
iii. 2 cups milk
iv. 2 eggs
v. ¼ tea soon salt
vi. 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
i. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prep your baking dish. You could make this in a big 9×13 and cut it up for later, but I like to make them in muffin tins so they’re all set once they come out of the oven. Just lightly grease the pans and you’re all set.
ii. Mix all the ingredients together.
iii. Pour them into your baking dish
iv. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.
v. Let cool, then store them in a big plastic zip top and enjoy throughout the week!
Flavor Add ins
i. Add in dried fruit and nuts for an on the go granola
ii. Add in about a tablespoon of Nutella or Peanut butter for some sweet added protein
iii. Fresh fruit or Jam (just make sure you add in a little more oats or some flour to account for the added liquid. Just a Tablespoon should be fine)
iv. Chocolate chips, M&Ms, tiny Reeses cups. Treat yourself
(There’s also this nifty little option for those of you who like your oatmeal to be more like….oatmeal. Overnight Oats are a great option and you can make a bunch of other things in mason jars too. Check out these overnight mason jar recipes.)
There you go. Do all of this and you’ll get through finals week feeling a lot less like death. Remember to take care of yourselves. Exams and papers are important but you can’t do your best unless you’re healthy. Good luck!