While you could be forgiven for stuffing all thoughts of college work and deadlines to the back of your mind between now and the start of the New Year, those days are gone, friends. Nope, if you’re in your final year, instead of a carefree Christmas, you’re going to have a nagging worry in the back of your mind: your finals. Now, the hope is that by now you at least know the topic of the most important piece of work you’ll ever do.
The temptation can be to throw yourself fully into studying between now and the summer, coming up for air every week or two to shower and order something from Postmates or Uber Eats. As well as not being good for your mental and physical health, this method will even have a negative impact on your work.
So, here are our top three tips on keeping your sanity when studying for your finals:
Mix it up
Many students choose to lock themselves away in their bedroom for three months, with the occasional trip to the library and the bathroom. Cabin fever is a very real thing, even if you have the entire Netflix catalogue of crime documentaries, and it’s not something that helps you produce a reasoned and balanced piece of work. It’s something that makes you talk to your pizza and forget what grass feels like. As well as the library, try to work from different places. Sure, those people who sit in Starbucks on their laptops might look like pretentious, but an hour or two surrounded by actual people rather than week-old coffee mugs will probably produce a better standard of work.
Keep the brain ticking over
When it comes to taking a break from studying, you don’t just want to completely switch off your brain and do nothing. Keep your brain active by giving it other, more enjoyable, tasks. From reading a book to playing a game with your housemates, maybe even taking advantage of these free bets available on Oddschecker to place a wager on Monday Night Football or play a new casino game, keeping your brain ticking while enjoying yourself will help you avoid spending an hour looking at a blank Word document when you return to your studies.
Actual exercise
The thought of actual exercise might be more intimidating than your final exams, but getting out in the fresh air while nose-deep in books is crucial to maintaining some sanity during a particularly stressful time. This doesn’t unnecessarily mean three hours of bench pressing or weekly half marathons, but a gentle jog around the park or a game of football with friends will allow you to completely remove yourself from the world of study for a few hours.