Ten things to do before Finals

That moment when we learn that the final schedule is out is such a tossup of relief and dread. Knowing when we’re done the semester becomes the focal point of our lives, and then comes the realization that we actually have to STUDY and WRITE EXAMS before we’re free.

The best way out is through, they say. Well, it’s also the most painful way out. So here I present a short list of tasks that are best done before finals season. Yes, we probably don’t want to, but a little bit of experience and a tad of regret have taught me what I chose to share with you.

Behold in no particular order:

10 THINGS TO DO BEFORE FINALS

1)      Ask a trustworthy friend/sibling/family member to change your Facebook password for you. They can hold your account hostage until you are done your exams. It’ll save you HOURS of time that would otherwise be spent online stalking. And imagine the complete euphoria of being able to log in once again, a few weeks later. The colours will be brighter; your FB friends will seem more tolerable.

2)      Clean your ROOM.  You’ll feel the compulsion to do it as soon as you sit down to do those readings. But having nothing else to do might just force you to concentrate on school work. And anyway, a filthy room isn't conducive to effective studying ... most of the time.

3)      Catch up on sleep. Devote three to four days before your study for finals to sleep, sleep and nothing but sleep. No matter how much you try, you just won’t sleep well during finals season. You’ll either have too many late nights, or take my personal route and wake up a gazillion times a night with bits of data flying about in your head. Honestly, I’d rather have a serial killer nightmare than an exam one.

4)      Stock up on junk food. Who gives a horse’s poop about weight gain? Who cares if apples and walnuts are brain food? There’s nothing like a family size bag of ruffles to get you through revision. As long as you’re not ditching homework to run to the store and buy it. Let’s face it, you may never come back.

5)      Ladies, trim your hair. Forty percent of women who sit in front of a computer screen to read end up playing with the dead ends of their hair. Okay, maybe I completely made up that statistic...but the truth WILL SET YOU FREE.

6)      Make a schedule. That’s right, friends. It’s time to accept that this is university; we need to reserve spontaneity for our nights downtown. Following a study pattern is effective, not only because it gives us an idea of how much time we need to get something done, but also because the GUILT of not following a schedule may be channeled into productivity.

7)     Find a cozy study space in a public area. Be it the UTSC “library”, or a park, your conscience might just kick in. The sight of other people studying may motivate you, or at the very least, embarrass you into 

      doing something constructive yourself.

8)      Download two 20-minute TV shows of your choice. Television can be a great stopwatch. Pace your study breaks according to whatever you  watch to de-stress. It’s best to have them loaded already so that you waste no time in finding or saving them. The internet is a dark and dangerous vortex. I recommend 30 Rock.

  

9)      FREEZE YOUR T-CARD IN A BLOCK OF ICE AND KEEP IT IN YOUR FREEZER TILL EXAM DAY. Murphy’s Law suggests that you will lose a valuable piece of I.D right before you need it.

10)   Last but not least: be extra nice to your mom. Karma really loves moms.

That is all for now, I'm off to call my mom.

Cheers UTSC'ers

Maha