Studying for Finals Without Losing Your Mind.

There's a point in your life when you are just so overwhelmed with the world and deadlines and homework and worries and school Advent concerts and Christmas cookies that you just have to take a step back... 
And it's only when you do take that backwards step and observe your world from the outside that you realize that it's the weekend before finals and you don't have time to step back because you're up to your ears in notes and textbooks to study. 

Mmmhmmm. 
Here we are again. 

I could rant on and on about how stressed finals make make and y'all would hate me for that because you have your own finals to cram for and don't want to hear about my problems, but I would do it anyways cuz it's my blog, after all. BUT I'm not an unreasonable person. So we're doing something different. 

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HOW TO STUDY FOR FINALS PROPERLY WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND

STEP ONE

Umm, tea???

Get yourself some tea. Life is better with tea. But maybe you don't like tea (YOU STRANGE, STRANGE PEOPLE), so make it coffee, or a smoothie, or a chocolate shake from McDonalds. I won't judge. Just get yourself something that will help make studying more relaxing and will help you keep your sanity. 

STEP TWO

Don't hold it all off to the night before. Start earlier so you have a few days and pace yourself. Spread it out evenly so you're studying an equal amount each night. And then on the night before, review. Review, review, review. Drink multiple cups of tea, if necessary (It's always necessary).

STEP THREE

SLEEP.

Yes, it's that thing you hated when you were seven, but now you need it unless you want to fall asleep during your exam, which would not be your best move. Shut off the stupid TV and go to bed early the night before. 

STEP FOUR

Take breaks.

Don't explode your head!! Take breaks! Drink tea! Go for a walk! Make Christmas cookies (and send me some, thanks)! Don't plow through it all because then your head will explode and that's not pretty. 

STEP FIVE

This one might not apply to everyone. For my English exam, I'm going to have to write a time-pressured, five paragraph essay about Homer's Odyssey. Blah. But for an English exam, that's pretty common, I believe, so if this is your situation too, and if it's okay with your English teacher, scratch out an outline beforehand. Don't write out a full essay though and then just copy it during the test, that sort of defeats the purpose of a time-pressured essay. And make sure your teacher is okay with it too. But if it is okay, do it. Write out a detailed outline, emphasis on detailed. It'll be so much easier, trust me, this isn't my first time writing an essay under pressure. 

STEP SIX

Breathe. You got this.

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This is my seventh time taking semester exams, and especially after the PSATs, I'm not that stressed yet. I wish you luck on your finals, especially my brother, who is taking them for the first time. 

Remember: Tea. Lots of tea.