7 tips for thriving during finals in college

Sometimes, it feels like you just finished midterm exams and papers, and somehow, finals have already crept up. Whether you are an upperclassman or a freshman about to finish your first year of school, finals can be a terrifying prospect if you don’t have a plan. So, from your friends at PHC, here are eight helpful tips to help you conquer finals!

1. Check your finals schedule well in advance

First, know when your finals are. It seems obvious, but sometimes, in the flurry of assignments, it’s easy to forget. Check your student portal for a schedule listing which finals will be taken on which day. Make sure to double-check when your final is and mark it down on your calendar.

2. Prioritize some exams over others

Note which exams will require more study time. Ranking your exams will help you avoid over-studying for an easier class. Besides, knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a valuable skill for the future.

3. Make a game plan

Having recognized which classes need more attention, schedule out what hours you are going to study for each exam. Scheduling helps to focus your attention on one subject at a time.

4. Spread out your study times

Cramming for each exam the day before seems appealing, but it often has varied results. Instead, spreading out study times over a couple of days helps to ingrain the information into your brain, allowing for easy retrieval. Plus, what’s the point of spending all that effort to take a class without being able to remember anything from it? 

5. Use all your resources

Whether it's studying in groups, using online study guides, or just simply going to your professors’ office hours for clarification, use every resource at your disposal. You are far from alone in this journey!

6. Take care of yourself

Do not neglect your physical health. Fun fact: you will not change your grade substantially by skipping a 20 to 15-minute lunch break. Getting proper amounts of nourishment and sleep will actually help you perform better academically.

7. Keep up with your spiritual disciplines

During times of busyness, it is especially easy to neglect non-assigned aspects of our lives. We cannot forget the most important element of our lives. Properly managing stress starts by laying our anxieties on God.

 Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.