Stress Reduction Resources

We want to make your finals (relatively) stress-free! How does that happen, you ask? Well…

Don’t procrastinate. If you would like to effectively sabotage your grade, this is the best way to do it. So start studying now – as in at least a week before your exam. If your final is tomorrow, well, you’re going to be stressed.
Make sure to exercise a little every day. You may think you don’t have time to take a walk, but your brain will eventually prove you wrong when it stops working.
Take breaks! Just like exercising your body, your brain needs a timeout. A huge break isn’t necessary – only about 5 minutes for every hour of studying should do the trick.
Hey, use that 5 minute break to get up and walk around!
Make sure you eat and drink enough to keep your body and mind going. Eating a bag of M&Ms every time you take a break isn’t what we mean either.
Eat 3 balanced meals every day and include a snack if you’re hungry. Note to self: a supersized #2 with a Coke from McDonald’s is not “balanced”.
Get some sleep. Your brain will actually remember things better if you get a good night’s sleep instead of pulling an all-nighter. This mysteriously isn’t a problem if you start studying early…
Know where you stand on your grades. It’s a lot easier to study when you know that a 90% on that exam will get you the same final grade as a 100%.
Be realistic. If it takes you a couple days to prepare for an exam, give yourself the time. If your attention wanders after studying for 30 minutes, allow time for that. And don’t expect to get a 100% on an exam if you studied your butt off for the rest of them and averaged 85% - study your butt off, rock that final test for your 85%, and be proud of your accomplishment!
Don’t forget to celebrate (legally) when your finals are over – you earned it!