It’s the Finals Countdown

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

This special edition of Manhattan Skye is brought to you by a near and dear (Ha!) topic to my heart: Finals.

I can personally say that my sophomore year of college is complete but only after 72 hours of complete suffering. Not to mention the last two weeks of cell biology class and lab totally kicking my butt, but this isn’t a competition Britani, stay focused.

To all of my fellow college students out there, I feel your pain, and I’m here today to give you a few of my essential finals week tips, tricks, and stress relievers. Enjoy!

Number One:

If you are a science major and your exams are cumulative? I’m sorry. But we are living proof that we will survive and come out on the other end victorious! All you need is a gigantic piece of white paper and some colorful sharpies!

That probably sounds like I’m trying to convert you to the arts, but hear me out.. concept maps. Just, concept maps. Your new motto? “When in doubt, concept map it out.”

And trust me. You WILL pass because this DOES work.

Basically, you draw out a whole bunch of pictures and you begin to connect all of the dots to one another so that you practically have an entire semester’s worth of material in tiny fragments connected as a big picture on one sheet of paper.

Definitely something to get used to, but more importantly is definitely a life saver.

Exhibit A. Could it be neater? Probably yes, but as long as it makes sense to you, that’s all that matters!

Number Two:

Quizlet, quizlet, quizlet. I had a spanish class this semester and to memorize all of those verbs, I really needed flashcards. I also really hate having to waste a million flashcards that I will most likely never go back to and that took me FOREVER to make, so this online version is the best alternative! So good that I’ve been using it since my chemistry class in High School.

The site has different features and allows you to study your sets in a variety of ways. You can shuffle them, study them based off of the front or back exposed first, and so on.

Totally helpful and really easy to put together! Be environmentally friendly (kind of) and try it out!

Number Three:

If you’re like me and have a serious itch to pick up your phone and check insta when you’re supposed to be studying, try the Pomodoro Method!

Basically you set a timer for 25 minutes and during that time period you put your phone away, turn it on airplane mode, do whatever you need to do to just focus. Then you take a five minute break where you can snack, check your social media, or move around.

You repeat this four times and then you get rewarded with a 15 minute break!

I know this probably sounds crazy strict but I promise I wouldn’t lead you in the wrong direction. Especially considering my favorite band of all time was One Direction and their success rates only went up. It’s in my DNA to do the same and *hopefully* do it for you too.

Moral of the story: This actually works and is super helpful. For like the third time, try it.

Number Four:

Praise GOD for frappucino happy hour at Starbucks. Then do it again because the Smore’s frappucinos are back.

I mean you really can’t go wrong with caffeine and finals week. Especially when it’s coming at you half price. So treat yo’ self because chances are you definitely deserve it. And while you sip your super trendy drink you can catch up on the latest episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians for an hour and destress.

Very effective.

Number Five:

Please actually try to sleep and eat. I know I can’t speak for everyone but really, you function so much better on at least a few hours of sleep and fuel in your belly.

You’ll be able to focus while you’re taking 100 question scantron exams and you won’t feel drained after like the second page. Plus you won’t have to shush your grumbling stomach mid exam. So this is a total win-win.

AND there’s a total bonus jonas to the whole sleeping thing. Studies show that if you’re studying before you get some shut-eye, you are more likely to remember the information when you wake up. Personally? I 100% think that is true. So do yourself and your body a favor and see for yourself!

Number Six:

Jam out to some killer playlists. If you’re like me, you’ll be refreshed and empowered by the end of even just one song (most likely Stronger by Kanye West).

Here’s some suggestions that keep me going:

1. Stayin’ Alive – The Bee Gees
2. Run the World (Girls) – Beyonce
3. Work B**ch – Britney Spears
4. Sign of the Times – Harry Styles (how could I NOT include this one, c’mon)
5. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
6. What Time Is It – High School Musical Cast (I mean, duh, right?)

Number Seven:

Last (but certainly NOT least), dress for success. Or comfort. Or whatever you’re feeling that day.

If you need to get through a minimum of two finals in one day, I’d probably roll up to class in Adidas joggers and my “lucky” sweatshirt circa 2013. It’s going to be a long day and sometimes you just need to feel like you’re wrapped in a hug, even if it’s just by your clothes.

Alternatively, if there’s a potential I might bomb a final? I’ll probably dress for success because hey, if I’m going to fail, I’m going to at least look good doing it. While you can’t go wrong with comfort, sometimes it’s important to put your best foot forward even if it’s just a mechanism to get your mind off of the material (and impending doom) ahead. But also, you know what they say.. Look Good, Feel Good. That will be your unsaid battle cry as you march into the room. And trust me loves, do a hair flip and never look back (:

With that, I hope everyone experiencing finals knows they are certainly not alone and that they can push through it! Just a little while longer and you’ll be totally free for four months. No more exams. No more papers. No more assignments. Just some quality time with Vitamin D.

Have a fabulous rest of your week and until next time..

xx.Britani Skye

P.S. Check this logo I made for the blog! I’m super proud and cannot wait to dedicate the rest of my summer to making this page as good as it can possibly be!

 

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