Finals week can often feel daunting for ILS students, especially when the pressure mounts and the clock starts ticking. Just the thought of final exams can make some students go into a spiral of anxiety and procrastination. However, studying does not have to be this way. In this article you will find out the best tips and tricks to ace your finals by studying without the stress.
To be able to study without stress, you need to understand what stress is in the first place. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation.” Stress is the human body’s response to pressure from different situations or life events and can be triggered when people feel like they lack control of a situation. (Mental Health Foundation) In the case of studying, students often become stressed out because of procrastination, waiting till the day before to study for exams. The first way to beat the stress is by setting a study schedule for yourself that starts a couple weeks before finals begin. By doing this, you achieve a little bit of studying each day and do not get overwhelmed the night before. Senior Lara Carmona does this when studying for finals in her past years at ILS.
“I make a small goal of studying for 15 minutes each day before finals. By the time I get to the day of the final, I will have reviewed all the information I need to ace it,” said Lara.
Another way to effectively study for finals is by drinking tea. Chamomile tea in particular has been found to calm nerves, reduce anxiety, and treat sleeping issues. (National Institute of Health) Another kind of tea, green tea, has been reported to increase endurance and energy levels. Senior Renata Alvarez Gil can testify to these findings.
“Whenever I am overwhelmed while studying and need a break, I drink chamomile tea because it always relaxes me. In contrast, whenever I have a big test coming up or paper I need to write, I drink green tea to focus and energize myself,” said Renata.
Lastly, using active recall while studying can also help you ace your finals. Active recall is an alternative method to learning the traditional way. Instead of reading books or trying to put information in your brain, you learn by retrieving information that you remember out of your brain. Senior Victoria Chevallier uses the white board method which applies the principles of active recall for studying.
I use the whiteboard method to study and it works every time. I write down everything on a whiteboard that I can remember about the topic I am studying. Then, whatever is missing I add it in and repeat the process a few times until I am well prepared for the test.”
— Victoria
Finals are the last stretch before summer. Use these tips and tricks to go into that week prepared and confident, but without the stress!
