The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Finals Week

Just like clockwork, finals are here again. Are you ready to take them on? I know, college final exams can be incredibly stressful and a lot of work. But they are so important! Final exams and final projects usually make up a large portion of your overall grade, so performing well is crucial. But, don’t sweat it. I’ve totally got you covered! This guide to college finals week will make your preparations and workload easier, more efficient, and successful.

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Finals Week

What do I mean when I say “finals week”? Well, if you’re reading this from somewhere other than the United States, or perhaps you are just entering college, you may not be familiar with the term. Finals week is usually the last week of classes each semester that comprises of large, comprehensive exams and projects that are worth a large part of your final grade. Usually, you will have one exam per class during finals week and they can be quite difficult, making preparing for these exams tedious and time consuming. If you’re in college, chances are you’re going to have to face finals week soon.

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Top Tips for Taking On Finals Week

Alright, now that you know what finals week is, how can you prepare for it? What do you need to do in order to succeed? What all do you need to know? Fantastic questions! Here is a quick outline of all the topics I am about to cover, jam packed with great tips and tricks to get you through finals week.

1. Finals Week: An Overview
2. Supplies to make Finals Week Easier
3. Tips for Final Projects, Essays, and Presentations
4. Exam Study Schedule Outline
5. Study Tips for Finals Week
6. Scientifically Proven Study Tips
7. The Importance of Taking Breaks
8. Productivity Tips
9. Motivation Tips (+ Tricks to Staying Focused)
10. Stress Management Techniques
11. Study Reward Ideas
12. Healthy Snack Ideas for Studying
13. Finals Week Care Package Ideas

Finals Week: An Overview

For the most part, there are four main types of final examinations or projects you may encounter during or around finals week. These include final projects, final reports, final presentations, and final exams. Each is incredibly different, but share two main important themes. First, they are testing your overall comprehension of the class subject and second, they will greatly affect your final grade.

• Final Projects: Final projects can be either group assignments or individual work with a large end goal in mind. For example, during one of my engineering design classes, I had a final project where my group and I had to build a works-like-prototype of our design. For more about project planning, check out this post (includes a freebie!).
• Final Essays and Reports: Final essays and/or reports are incredibly common in college. They are usually quite long and require a lot of research and time to complete (especially if the essay is in lieu of an examination). If you have a final essay to complete, be sure to START IT EARLY. It will take longer than you expect. Check out my ultimate guide to writing a research paper HERE for more tips and instructions.
• Final Presentations: Final presentations usually occur the week before finals. These are presentations you will usually have to give to your classmates of what you learned during your final essay, final project, or just of a topic you have been assigned to research. They are incredibly common and have three easy steps for success: research, prepare/create your presentation, and practice.
• Final Exams: Finally, a final exam is the most common type of “final” you will encounter. Usually, these exams are comprehensive (cover the entire semester of material) and are worth a large amount of points. Take them seriously and be sure to read your class syllabus for more information on each exam.

Related: Discover 63 New Study Tips that Will Have You Acing Every Class this Semester!

Supplies to make Finals Week Easier:

Studying and completing projects requires numerous different school supplies and materials in order to be well organized and overall successful. Below, I have listed a few of my secret weapons I use each semester to get me through finals week and beyond.

• The Olden Chapters Student Printable Planner: This is a printable student planner that includes over 50 incredibly useful planning pages, including monthly and weekly calendars, study plans, budget sheets, assignment trackers and so much more. It is perfect to add the front of your binder!
• Zebra Mildliners: My go-to highlighters! They have two ends, a fat and skinny side, and the colors are a lot lighter than most highlighters. They are perfect for highlighting important notes, topics, textbook sections, and using in your study guides.
• Flashcards: I go through about 500 flashcards a semester, maybe more. But my major requires quite a bit of memorization. These are such a great deal!
• Pilot Juice Up Pens: I’ll be honest, I go through quite a few phases of pens. Currently obsessing over these babies! You can get them in a small pastel 6-pack or the basic 10-pack.
• Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens: These are one of the most popular pen sets around college campuses. They are felt tip and perfect for anyone looking to up their pen game!
• Free Study Printable: This is a free study printable planner that is incredibly useful in organizing your study tasks. I use one of these per exam!
• Staples Better Binder: In my guide to note-taking, I talk about how I prefer a binder system and why. These binders are incredibly durable and will get you through your entire college career. I prefer the 1.5-inch binder with D-Rings (stops your papers from curling in the back).
• Avery 5-Tab Dividers: These are my favorite dividers because they allow you to use page protectors while still being able to see the tabs. They even have folders on each divider!
• Five-Star Reinforced College-Ruled Paper: This is incredibly nerdy but I swear by this paper. Very little bleed-through, it is 8.5×11 inches (surprisingly hard to find) and has reinforced holes so you don’t tear your pages!
• Dry Erase Board: These babies make studying SO MUCH easier (and more fun too!). I prefer a larger white board, but they come in all different sizes. Be sure to grab some colorful markers too!

Related: Organize Your Life with the Only Student Printable Planner You’ll Ever Need in School

Tips for Projects, Essays, and Presentations:

Every finals week assignment is incredibly time consuming and tiresome. But with a few helpful tips, you will be on your way to success soon enough!

• Begin at your syllabus: Your class syllabus is a contract that outlines your professor’s expectations of you. Usually, if you have a final project, the assignment will be listed there and may include some helpful tips you might not find anywhere else.
• Read your assignment and rubric all the way through: After you check your syllabus, look at the actual assignment and rubric. Here, you should see what you will be actually graded on and what part of the assignment is worth the most points. This will allow you to decide where you should be spending the bulk of your time.
• Begin your projects early: Most final projects are time consuming and require quite a bit of work. In order to ensure the most success, a lot enough time to each project by starting early.
• Create a full project plan: In order to manage your time successfully, create a complete project plan for each individual project, paper, and presentation. Break each piece of the assignment into chunks and assign them to different days leading up to the due date. For more information about project planning, check out this post (includes a project planner freebie!)

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Writing an A+ Research Paper

Exam Study Schedule Outline:

Be sure to start preparing and studying for your finals early. By early I mean at least four weeks before finals week. This also means that you should not fall behind in your class and should always be thinking about how your lecture material relates to the class as a whole. Here is a quick overview on what you should be thinking about:

• One month before finals: Create your study plans, starting with your syllabi. Begin studying using your study plan; you should be working on the first quarter of the semester material.
• Three weeks before finals: Study using your study plans, should be working on the second quarter of the semester material.
• Two weeks before finals: Study using your study plans, should be working on the third quarter of the semester material.
• One week before finals: Study using your study plans, should be working on the forth quarter of the semester material.
• Three days before finals: Create and complete practice problems and questions using practice exams or old homework problems.
  Night before finals: Review your notes one more time and ensure you have a full night’s sleep after a healthy dinner.
  Day of finals: Take one last look at your class material and beat those pre-exam jitters with some stress management techniques.

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Study Tips for Finals Week:

Time to get into some great study tips and methods that actually work (I promise!) However, be sure to try out different study methods and become comfortable in knowing which ones work for you best. This will ensure that you don’t waste any time and are successful in your exams!

• Start your preparations with your syllabus: Before you start studying, take a peek at your class syllabus to see what it has to say about your final exam. Things to pay attention to:
  • How many points is your final exam worth?
  • Is your final comprehensive? If not, what does it cover?
  • Are there any suggested materials to use during your studying sessions?
  • Is there a review session scheduled? How about tutoring or office hours listed?
  • When and where is your final exam?
• Create a study plan for each individual exam: Each exam you are preparing for should have its own study plan. These are detailed plans with each task you should be completing per lecture topic in order to be successful. Get your free study printable HERE and check out my detailed blog post HERE on how to use them.
• Study in a tidy location to decrease stress: Stress and anxiety are a frequent occurrence before finals week. One major was to decrease your stress while studying (and to decrease distractions) is to study in a clutter-free location.
• Attend review sessions: Many professors or teaching assistants will host review sessions to assist in your studying efforts. Be sure to attend them! They will usually give out some details about the exams, such as what types of questions will be on the exam. However, be sure to come prepared with questions. Sometimes, they will only go off of questions students bring in.
• Utilize a dry erase board: Dry erase boards are perfect for studying. You can use them for quick problem solving or memorization exercises. They are great for working out math problems, testing your memorization of equations, re-writing your notes, drawing out diagrams, and so much more. Be sure to also grab a pack of colorful markers to make your studying easier and more fun.
• Study during your best times of day: Find the time when your brain is at its peak. Some students are morning people and get their best work done at the beginning of the day, while others are night owls. Check out more study motivation hacks here!
• Color code your notes: While in class, try to utilize different colors (these multi-pens are perfect for this!). You can even go over your notes again with different colored highlighters (these are my favorite) to help color code your notes into different categories. An example of color coding might be:
  • Green: new topic
  • Black: supportive material and facts
  • Blue: further details
  • Red: important information
  • Highlighted: will be on exam

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Taking College Notes (You’ll Actually Use)

• Find a study partner or group: Many people find it easier to study with other people. This is a great exercise to both get help from others, and reinforce material by teaching others.
• Re-write your notes: A great exercise for studying to completely re-write you notes. Furthermore, you can have your lecture slides pulled up and your textbook out so you can reference all three at the same time while you write!
• Create a mind map: Mind-mapping is a great way to connect your lecture material to other sections in the class. It is a quick and easy exercise that is super effective! Learn more about mind mapping in my study post HERE and in this great article.
• Use flashcards and the Leitner System: Flashcards are a fantastic way to test your knowledge and memorize important pieces of information. You can use them to memorize formulas, create practice problems and so much more. (Here is a great deal on flashcards). 
• Go over your old lecture slides: Revisiting your old lectures can be incredibly useful when reviewing older class material.
• Watch helpful Youtube videos: You might be surprised just how many incredible video resources there are out there to help you learn your material. Just plug in your subject and find the some videos that might be helpful. I LOVE the videos offered by Crash Course, they are spectacular!
• Create your own study guide and practice questions: Creating your own practice questions is, by itself, a great way to study. Furthermore, answering those questions will help you study even more!
• Review your class readings: Review all of your assigned class readings by looking at each section title, reviewing all figures and diagrams, skimming the most important sections, and reading the summaries and main conclusions.
• Review assignments, labs, quizzes, and old exams: Utilizing your old class material is a great way to find potential final exam questions and revisit important topics. You can even print out new assignments and re-do the ones you are struggling with.
• Don’t forget about the outside world: Finally, while you’re studying for finals, you will probably find that you have no time or energy to focus on anything else. But be sure to not forget about your other responsibilities (or at least write them down on a to-do list for after finals week!). If you’re getting ready to start a new semester, check out my ultimate pre-semester to do list! And, if you’re about to head off for summer break, check out my summer break productivity guide!

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Studying for an Exam (and creating a study plan!)

Scientifically Proven Study Tips:

In addition to my personal study tips, let’s take a look at some actual scientifically proven tips to help your study sessions! (As a side note, I can’t take all the credit for finding these, my husband is in Doctor of Physical Therapy school and many of these articles and findings were presented to his class, so I promise they work!)

• Aerobic exercise right before you study to improve memory: Countless studies (Erickson et al., 2011 & Stroth et al., 2006 are just two of many) suggest that aerobic (aka cardio) exercise dramatically increases both memory and general cognitive functioning of the brain. So, hop on that treadmill or head to a nearby trail for a nice long run before you hit the books! Note that many studies make a point in saying that your aerobic exercise must be high intensity. Also, other studies (like Brisswalter et al., 2012) state that cognitive function increases during exercise, suggesting that if you bring your flashcards with you to the gym, you might retain more!
• Aerobic exercise right after you take each exam to clear your brain: Cardio exercise has also been found to clear metabolic waste in your body and reset your brain’s chemical balance (Venkat et al., 2016).
• Complete a study session directly before you sleep: You might be surprised to hear that if you study directly before you sleep (and I mean bring your notes to bed and review them before you head hits the pillow), your brain will retain more (Gais et al., 2006)!
• If you decide to take a nap, make it long enough to calm your synapses: Napping has been found to assist in cognitive function but only when it is long enough. Research studies state that this length and time of day is different for each person (Milner & Cote, 2009) so just test pay attention to how long you’re napping for and if it is helpful in your energy levels and cognitive function. Start with 30 minutes. By the way, napping helps by decreasing the swelling of your synapses, which are the ends of your brain neurons for all of us who have no clue what they are…
• Eat healthy meals throughout finals week to ensure the full functionality of your brain and body: This is another highly studied and proven tip (Small et al., 2006 and Rogers, 2001 to name a couple). The healthier you eat, the better your body and mind will run. If you want some more tips on eating healthy on a budget, check out this post.
• Curve of forgetting: Review material multiple times: Studies have shown that learning requires that humans review material multiple times and in multiple ways, over a long span of time (Finkenbinder, 1913). This is explained in the curve of forgetting, or the decline in memory over time. Studyquill on Youtube has created a great system for this!

Related: 10 Study Motivation Techniques that Actually Work!

The Importance of Taking Breaks:

Next, let’s discuss the importance of taking study breaks. Depending on the individual, the brain can only focus for around 30-60 minutes at a time. After that, exhaustion hits and distractions become easier to notice. I am sure you know exactly what I am talking about! Rather than push your brain, take a quick break then get back to work! In my opinion, the best way to do this is the Pomodoro Technique.

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method where you work for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break. After you have repeated this four times, you take a 20 to 30 minute break. Pretty easy right? Try it out to see if it works for you! I have found that the best way to do this is to use a timer.

Check out this awesome Pomodoro Timer!

Break Ideas:

• Hit the gym! Get a good workout session in.
• Declutter your space or apartment
• Run and fold a load of laundry
• Read a chapter of a “fun” book
• Practice a stress management technique
• Make a quick snack (check out my favorite study snack ideas below!)
• Go for a quick walk around the block
• Drink a full glass of water
• Take a shower to clear your head

Note: Try to avoid TV, social media, junk food, or anything else that will ruin your focus or decrease your energy during your breaks!

Productivity Tips:

During finals week, it is incredibly important to properly manage your time and maintain productivity to ensure you get the most studying and final assignments completed. Here are some of my favorite productivity tips when it comes to finals week:

• Use a planner! The best productivity tool you can utilize is a planner!
• And… Use your planner productively! Being productive isn’t just simply having a planner and perhaps writing a few things in it, but actually using it effectively! Check out this post on how to get the most out of your planner.
• Utilize Time Blocking: Block out chunks of time during your study days to just focus on one exam, assignment, or task. Check out more time management tips here.
• Break up Your Study Sessions into Manageable, Smaller Tasks: Studying for a final can be incredibly overwhelming. Be sure to start with a plan with a list of tasks to complete and add them to your to do list (instead of just writing “study for exam”).
• Track your Time: Before you begin studying, create a study hour goal, or how many total hours you want to study for all of your exams. Then, create an awesome reward (a date night or a new book perhaps? More ideas listed below!) and start tracking how many hours a day you study!
• Re-Organize your College Binders: Keeping an organized binder will help you find old exams and notes much more quickly. Check out how I organize my binders here.

Related: Discover 10 New Secrets to College Productivity

Motivation Tips and How to Stay Focused:

The longer finals week drags, the less motivated we all seem to become. Don’t worry, there are many different ways to maintain your focus and motivation levels!

• Look up study motivational videos: You might be surprised at how many great motivational videos there are on YouTube. They range from watching students study (which can actually be incredibly motivating) to finding new study technique you haven’t used before.
• Find a quiet, undisturbed space to study: Be sure to choose a nice area to study and get some work done. This may mean that you need to close your door put in some earplugs, or heading out to the library for the afternoon.
• Change up your location: If you are starting to get burned out from studying, try changing up your location every once in a while. Even heading to a different room can make a big difference.
• Declutter your surroundings: One major source of distraction (and stress) can be a messy, clutter-filled area. Be sure to keep your study space nice and clean.
• Turn your phone off: While you’re studying, turn your phone off, on “do not disturb” mode, or utilize a productivity app like Forest to ensure you don’t look at it while you’re studying.
• Set the mood: Use ambient noise (such as a nice study playlist with noise canceling headphones), ASMR videos, cozy blankets, candles, warm beverages, etc. to set the mood before you hit the books. These small details can make a world of difference to your mindset.
• Keep everything within arm’s reach: Be sure to keep everything you might need nearby. This can further decrease distractions by making sure you aren’t having to get up every ten minutes to track something down (such as flash cards, highlighters, etc.).
• Set goals and rewards: If you are needing more of a push, try setting a goal for your study efforts. This could be related to the amount of hours you study, or final exam grades. Be sure to track your progress and set motivating rewards!

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Stress Management:

Stress and anxiety can become a major hinderance during finals week. Keep stress at bay with some of my favorite stress management techniques:

• Exercise: Exercise is not only scientifically proven to help your brain activity in order to increase memory retention, it also is a great way to manage stress and anxiety!
• Eat healthy meals: Maintaining your physical health starts with eating healthy! Great food makes you feel good (and helps your brain function too!). Take a look at my favorite nutritional book Eat, Drink, and be Healthy for some great recipes and advice on healthy eating.
• Meditate: Meditation is a fantastic way to clear your head and reduce anxiety throughout finals week. My favorite way is to use the Headspace app, but there are plenty of YouTube videos and podcasts you can use too!
• Journal: Spend some time writing out your frustrations and thoughts on paper. You will be absolutely surprised at how much it will help! I’m loving this journal right now, perfect for both productivity and everyday thoughts!
• Yoga: A good yoga flow after you exercise is a great way to pair stretching and meditation. It also helps loosen tension from your body and helps you refocus your energy to your next task.
• Go for a walk: If stress is starting to build up while you’re studying, a great way to get your mind off things is to head outside for a nice walk.
• Disconnect from your phone: Social media and constant phone alerts can be a huge source of anxiety, even subconsciously. Try to stay away from your phone during study breaks and before bedtime to reduce any unwanted stress.
• Get enough sleep: It is incredibly important for both your mind and body to eat enough sleep throughout finals week to decrease anxiety and to ensure your top performance on your exams! If you’re having trouble sleeping, try out some sleep supplements, they will do the trick!
• Prepare for Graduation: Are you about to graduate? Be sure to make a plan using this list of ideas to do after graduation.

Related: Top Stress Management Techniques for College Students

Study Reward Ideas:

One great way to maintain motivation throughout finals week is to set both small and big goals with rewards attached to each. Small rewards are great for study breaks or to end a full day of studying, while larger rewards work great for the end of the week. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Small Study Rewards:

• One episode of your favorite TV show
• Phone/social media time
• Stay-at-home movie night
• A long bubble bath
• A nice long walk
• Picnic in the park
• Snack run to the bakery or grocery store
• $10 of spending money
• New cozy socks to study in

Large Study Rewards:

• Shopping spree
• A fun date night with a friend, significant other, or yourself!
• Night out on the town
• Head to the theaters to see the next box office hit
• Hiking or camping trip with friends
• Weekend road trip (here was my last road trip, so much fun!)
• Concert tickets

Related: 34 Fun and Cheap Date Night Ideas You Have to Try!

Finals Week Snack Ideas

Before finals week really begins, try to prep some healthy snacks and toss them in the fridge so, when the time comes, you can just grab something healthy and not worry about fixing it up. Here are my favorite study snacks that keep me going:

• Raw veggies and dip (I LOVE Uncle Dan’s Southern Ranch with cottage cheese, yum!)
• Apples and peanut butter
• Cut up mixed fruit
• Berries with a little sugar on top (especially if they aren’t quite in season yet)
• Frozen grapes
• Frozen bananas with dark chocolate
• Plain popcorn
• Almonds
• Trail mix
• Hummus and peta chips
• Rice cakes with almond butter
• Multigrain toast
• Yogurt/parfaits
• Protein balls or bars

Related: How to Eat Healthy on a Budget: Perfect for College Students!

Finals Week Care Packages

One last quick tip is to ask your parents and/or family members for a fun finals week care package. They are the perfect way to get some fun, free, and useful snacks and supplies while you’re working hard on finals. Here are some of my favorite care package goodies:

• Clif Bars
• Rice cakes
• Popcorn
• Trail Mix
• Candy
• Tea
• Coffee
• Oatmeal
• French Press
• Index cards
• New fun pens
• Highlighters
• New noise canceling headphones
• Candles
• Notebooks
• Water bottles
• A small, fun new game (One Night Ultimate Werewolf and Sushi Go are both incredibly fun, easy, small, and quick!)
• External battery
• A new fun book (HERE is my current book list for some ideas!)
• A new coffee tumbler
• Cozy socks

Whew! That was a lot! I promised I would cover everything you might need to know, didn’t I? Well, I hope you were able to find some useful tips and motivation to get your finals week underway. I know that the end of the semester can be a crazy and stressful time, but you can do it! I have full confidence in you. Good luck and happy studying!

Ready to create your study plans? Head over to my Ultimate Guide to Studying for an Exam to Start Today!