Whether you have a bunch of exams, only projects, or a combination of both, finals week (and frankly, the last 2-3 weeks of the semester) can be super tough. Here are some of my tips for surviving this time of the semester.

• “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first” – Mark Twain
  • I like to refer this as the “frog mentality” half because it’s funny to say and half because it actually works. During this time of the semester, everything seems like a daunting task, but you will always have a few per day that you prefer to do over others due to fun factor, length of time, interaction with people, etc. I like to sort these tasks into a list of frogs (biggest to smallest) and tackle the big ones first. Start your day when the sun is shining and birds are chirping to do the largest, most dreadful task first. Then, finish up your day with the ones you like. This will not only force you to be productive as you race to get to those tasks you like but also make the day more pleasant.
• I mentioned this in my last post, but studying in a group is great. It gives you some accountability for focusing on your work and boosts your mood while tackling those big frogs.
• Pomodoros
  • My boyfriend actually introduced me to this technique recently. We were having trouble either focusing at all or focusing way to much for many hours resulting in being burnt out for many hours after that. Either way, this was not productive. Pomodoros are a timed system where you work for increments of 25 minutes with 5 minute mandated breaks in between each time. This is fun to do with friends, as well. If you need some extra motivation, there are some pomodoro apps out there that let you grow a virtual garden and don’t let you use your phone for other purposes. There are also some YouTube channels like LofiGirl that now do pomodoro livestreams with cool music in the background.
• Self care
  • Self care is essential and will actually help you be more productive since you are less likely to burn out as easily. This could be as simple as putting on a nice face mask while you work on a take-home exam or taking a 30 minute break to take a walk outside with your roommate. Get some fruits and vegetables, eat some protein, touch some grass, and take care of yourself. Your grades and concentration capacity will thank you for it.
• Checklists
  • I find checklists to be super satisfying. I like to check things off and know I accomplished something. Apps like Todoist (my personal favorite) will throw little virtual confetti at you and congratulate you for different productivity goals.
  • Make sure to also split these checklist items into something manageable. It may be more rewarding and motivating to check off 3 tasks, 1 for each part of your take-home exam, than one big task called “take-home exam”.