As finals week rapidly approaches, the Prism staff wanted to supply some tips and tricks for staying productive, relaxed and healthy during this high-stress period. Good luck, we believe in you!

Stay Hydrated

This may seem like an obvious tip, but forgetting to drink water while you’re studying happens more often than you might think. Energy drinks and coffee are extremely dehydrating, and with dehydration comes fatigue, headaches and a lack of focus, all of which are terrible for finals week. Something I like to do is follow every sip of redbull/coffee/etc with a sip of water. That way I know I’m keeping a healthy balance and avoiding dehydration.

Make Sure You’re Snacking!

Same with staying hydrated, if you’re not eating during your study sessions, you won’t be nearly as productive. Pack some snacks if you’re leaving the house to work, and make sure you’re budgeting yourself time to take breaks for meals.

Curate Your Study Music Ahead of Time

It’s really easy to get off track during your study sessions, and picking out the best study music can be a huge source of distraction. I find it helpful to make a playlist of study music before I actually sit down to study. Then, when I’m ready to work, I don’t need to worry about endlessly scrolling through Spotify to find music.

One of our volunteers, Kimi, found some wonderful YouTube playlists that she uses to relax while studying.

Feel free to use these playlists to help stay inspired, motivated and relaxed during these last weeks of the term.

Switch Up Your Study Locations

If you stay in one location to study for hours on end, it’s easy to feel burnt out. Even if you’re staying in the Valley Library for the entire session, it can be helpful to move to a different table, a different desk, a different floor, etc. Get up, stretch, get the blood flowing by moving around your workspace!

Give Your Brain a Break

Put yourself in a quiet space and focus on only one thing for a little while. Something that’s not related to class work, extra curricular projects or mindless scrolling. Whether that be engaging in some fun writing prompts, cooking, drawing, playing a video game, exercising, listening to music or making crafts, give your brain a break and focus on something you genuinely enjoy for a bit, or try something new!

Maintain a Healthy Sleep Schedule

Staying up until 4am to study may seem like a good idea at the time, but in the end of the day, getting a full night’s sleep is much more important than forcing yourself to stay awake. Being well rested can do wonders for your memory and recall skills and can keep you from getting frustrated or frazzled. Studying is important, but it doesn’t matter if you’re absolutely exhausted for that morning final!

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

There’s absolutely no shame in needing help during these stressful times. Oregon State’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) hosts a twice-weekly guided meditation session for stress reduction and concentration. If you need a quiet space to feel safe and grounded, this could be perfect for you. Their next session is December 1st. You can find more information here. The Mind Spa is also open Monday-Friday from 8-5pm, where you can relax privately for up to an hour. Schedule an appointment on their website.

CAPS also has a 24-hour helpline open if you are experiencing a mental health crisis. Call CAPS at 541-737-2131, or Contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741, or click here to connect via Facebook or WhatsApp.

This is an extremely stressful time for lots of OSU students. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for help if needed!

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We hope that these tips and tricks are helpful for you during these finals weeks of the term! If you have any additional points that we didn’t include, add a comment and let us know what helps you stay sane during finals.

Good luck out there!