Finals Season is Coming: How to not only survive but thrive during the most stressful time of the semester.

by Cassidy Brydon, FAU Graduate Student | Thursday, Nov 21, 2019
Person with sweater studying at desk

Finals season is one of the most stressful times in a student’s academic life. This time of the year includes exams, papers, projects, moving out/traveling, and saying goodbye to another semester. I have been through my fair share of finals seasons and have found some great tactics that work for me. With finals season quickly approaching, I thought I would share some of my tips for surviving finals!

1. Prepare

Now this is an obvious one but also the most likely to be dismissed. Most people don’t give themselves enough time to prepare for exams. Research shows that advanced preparation reduces the amount of test anxiety students experience.1  Creating a study guide or quizlet a week before the exam could really help with reducing the amount of stress you feel leading up to the exam. I’ll be honest: I don’t always do all of the readings I’m supposed to before an exam, but I make sure to type up my notes and create a study guide. Figure out what preparation materials (study guides, quizlets, hand written notes, index cards, etc.) work for you and then prepare them in advance.

2. Find test-taking skills that work for you

One of my professors recommends taking an exam 3 times in one sitting. Yes, I also raised my eyebrows in question when I first heard this, but if you think about it, it makes sense. 

  1. Round 1: answer all the questions you know without a doubt and mark the rest to come back to them. 
  2. Round 2: go back and sit with some questions and see if you can answer them or at least eliminate clearly incorrect answers. 
  3. Round 3: give the tough questions your best shot and hope you Christmas treed it well enough. 

I’ve tried this method many times and learned that a two-time run works well for me. Though this method works for me, it may not be the best method for you. If this doesn’t work for you, ask a professor for their test-taking recommendations and see if that helps.

3. Get some sleep

Sleep is by far the number one thing you need during finals season. As stereotypical as all-nighters are, sleep is guaranteed to produce better exam performance. Researchers have shown, time and again, that sleep is related to improved exam performance and reduced test anxiety.2 Yes, coffee and energy drinks may get you through and reduce how tired you feel, but they won’t help refresh your brain. In fact, research shows that students who sleep are more likely to learn and remember the material.3 So, SLEEP! It’s good for you and your exams. If you would like some tips on how to get a goodnights sleep, check out our blog on sleep.

4. Ditch social media

I didn’t know this, but limiting the amount of time you spend on social media around exam time can reduce your stress. I’ve never tried this, but now that I know the research behind it, I should. Although I can’t give you a personal anecdote about how this works, a large amount of research suggests that decreasing social media use assists with reducing exam stress and increasing performance.4 Not only can social media create a distraction from studying, but it can also add unnecessary stress to your life. Social media can cause insecurities, induce the fear of missing out (FOMO), and opens you up to negative-thought inducing comments. So limit social media during finals week and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised.

5. Build in some You-Time to destress

It might sound counterintuitive, but it is important to schedule time to take care of yourself. Research shows time to yourself can help reduce test anxiety.5 My favorite stress relieving activity is finding a comfy spot and watching a movie or reading a book with a big bowl of popcorn. Finding and planning for an activity that helps you destress gives you the opportunity to look forward to that time and rejuvenate. This is also an excellent time to try self care, meditation, a mindfulness practice, or journaling. If you're not sure where to start with these, check out our previous blogs on self care, mindfulness practice, and mindfulness apps.

6. Get active

Physical activity is linked to general stress reduction.6 Yes, this is coming from the same person who just said her favorite way to destress is laying down with popcorn, but physical activity is a great way to relieve stress and help with exam coping. Going for a run, attending a workout class, or going to the gym for 30 minutes can really help with getting through finals in one piece. Physical activity is linked to the release of endorphins, which is a hormone that elevates your mood.7 During finals, we all need a little mood elevation and working out is the best way to get that.

Every student knows finals season is difficult and causes a lot of stress, but establishing effective studying techniques and taking care of yourself will take you from surviving to thriving through finals. You got this!

1 Damer, D. E., & Melendres, L. T. (2011). “Tackling Test Anxiety”: A Group for College Students. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 36(3), 163–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2011.586016

2-4 Garett, R., Liu, S., & Young, S. D. (2017). A longitudinal analysis of stress among incoming college freshmen. Journal of American College Health, 65(5), 331–338. 

5 Huntley, C. D., Young, B., Temple, J., Longworth, M., Smith, C. T., Jha, V., & Fisher, L. (2019). The efficacy of interventions for test-anxious university students: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 63 , 36-50.

6-7 Ensari, I., Greenlee, T. A., Motl, R. W., & Petruzzello, S. J. (2015). Meta-analysis of acute exercise effects on state anxiety: An update of randomized controlled trials over the past 25 years. Depression and Anxiety, 32 , 624–634. doi:10.1002/da.22370