The final stretch is here, and it’s a race to the finish line. Winter break lies a tantalizing nine days away, and final exams are the last hurdle. The flash cards come out, trips to Starbucks become more frequent, and regret arises from sleeping through our 8 a.m. classes every week.

Along with this time of the semester comes the onslaught of inevitable stress. Many students may put their physical and mental health aside and become anxiety-ridden from all their tests and assignments. As such, it is important to note that counselors are available to meet with students and provide their services through the Counseling Center. To schedule an appointment, students can call (217) 333-3704 to get in contact with a counselor.  

Unfortunately, there is no perfect, proven plan for tackling exams, but we have a few tips on how to have a successful finals week to keep students’ stress and sanity in tact.

1. One of the best ways to keep your mind healthy and retain information is to diversify your study locations. The Courtyard Café at the Illini Union is an Illini favorite as well as the numerous coffee shops within walking distances on campus. The library is another alternative to the dorm room or apartment. But forewarning to the aforementioned study venues, these locations also serve as prime people-watching locations, so avoid if you are prone to easy distractions.

At both the Undergraduate Library and Grainger, they have study rooms for group or individual study sessions equipped with space for up to eight people. Sign up for rooms either on the upper or lower levels of the UGL, depending on if you prefer a quieter environment. 

2. When focus becomes impossible, the best approach is to take a break. It may seem like a waste of time, but when you’re rereading the same paragraph over and over for half an hour, it pays to reboot your system. It doesn’t have to be more than ten minutes, but giving your brain a rest allows you to come back to your study material more refreshed.   

3. Sleep schedules become a thing of the past when finals roll around, but don’t underestimate the power of a full night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation can be linked to cognitive issues such as memory loss, which as you can guess is probably why you couldn’t remember that math equation for last week’s test.  

Losing sleep can have very negative impacts on students’ abilities to perform well on exams. If sleep is out of the question, even a twenty minute power nap before your final can help to refresh your mind.

Though seemingly simple and straight-forward, these tips are a great place to start for students anxiously anticipating the start of finals week. But, fortunately, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel as winter break quickly approaches. Good luck on exams, fellow Illini!