At the end of nearly every quarter and semester there are finals. These tests are designed to show that the students who took the class actually learned a thing or two. These exams can take a  toll on students’ well being. There are many tips and tricks to help stay on top of the game and mentally sane during testing week. 

Preparing for tests well in advance or as soon as possible helps tremendously. Studying nightly or every other night before a test helps students feel more relaxed and reduces the stress that “cramming” can create. 

Avoid energy drinks and excessive caffeine when studying. While this may help with sleepiness, it actually puts too much pressure on your brain and doesn’t help with testing.  

Eating healthy, however, does give the brain and internal organs a rest from non-natural sugars, caffeine, taurine, and chemicals. Sacramento State University says, “Eating healthy is always better for your body and brain than eating foods saturated with sugar and carbs, but during finals week try to eat clean too! This means try really hard to eat only natural, fresh foods with zero chemicals and preservatives…Your body will feel and run better and you will have a lot more energy than you would otherwise.” Positive thinking is amazing in any situation and particularly helpful during a calc final. Thinking positively about  “What you think about, you bring about.”

Sleep is extremely valuable during stressful times.  pulling an all nighter trying to finish that biology study guide will not help in the end. your body will not thank you in the morning.  healthy six hours of sleep after studying helps with memory brain energizes and organizes information during sleep. 

Exercise is advantageous anytime of the year, but especially so during finals as it gives the body a break from sitting at a desk.   It’s okay to play some video games for half an hour or watch a YouTube video about cats or something. It’s important to get a break from brain labor and do something mindless. 

Many students who are worrying about midterm or final exams forget to wisely. It’s important to keep some of these ideas in mind with tests coming up.