The Finals Week Endurance Test

Posted by Naomi Rockler-Gladen Dec 3, 2007

Finals week is like an athletic event! You need to push yourself as hard as you can, and sometimes this results in fatigue. When I was a student, I always spent the day after finals curled up in bed for a long, long time.

You can make the finals week endurance test easier by taking care of yourself-- as least as best as you can. When you're working this hard, nutrition and sleeping and exercise definitely can get pushed to the background. But to be successful, athletes need to take care of thie bodies-- and so do you!

In my opinion, the most overlooked area of self-care for students is sleep. Although sleep may seem like a luxury, you need it to be successful at just about everything. As much as it's possible, get a decent amount of sleep during finals. You might just need to make sleep a priority over other obligations during finals week. The extra sleep will help you relax and may help you do better on your exams.

Eating well is also important-- or at least somewhat well. Try to eat nutritious meals at regular times. Of course, pampering yourself a bit with treats during finals is fine, as long as you don't overdo it. Here are some exam week snack ideas.

Finally, try to get in a little exercise. No, don't go and blow three hours a th the gym, because you don't have time. But a little exercise really does lift your spirits and helps you clear your mind. Work in something as simple as a brisk walk as a study break, or treat yourself to 45-minutes at the gym, and you'll feel better. (If there's a hot tub at the gym, by all means, take advantage of this stress-relieving godsend!)

Best of luck during finals, students!