Dead Week Tips

By: Nora Kish

(Insert obligatory statement about Dead Week never being "dead"). Finals are right around the corner, which means one thing: STUDYING. As important as studying is, it's just as important to remain cognizant of your habits while you study. It seems like everyone knows what they should do, but rarely do it. Below are some reminders and tips to be in as good of shape as possible while staying up for 12+ hours holed up in the library and going semi-blind from staring at a computer screen.

Get up and stretch! When I study and get in the zone, I'm not coming out for a while. For a while, I thought it was a good thing because it meant I was focused and being productive. Boy, was I wrong. There are multiple studies out there that show sitting for long periods of time can be extremely detrimental to your health. It's recommended to get up and move around for a few minutes per hour you spend sitting.

Snack healthily. That bottle of Mountain Dew can often be the perfect pick-me-up and that Snickers bar is great to munch on while reading. To add to the aforementioned, these snacks are also inexpensive and easy to handle. However, these quick-fixes are just that and are probably doing more harm than good. You should eat to nourish your body, not just fill it. Some healthy alternatives include almonds (or any nuts), apples and other fruits, and lots of water.

Get plenty of rest. This piece of advice is often the most repeated and overlooked. Getting enough sleep is vital to proper functioning because your body uses that time to repair itself and re-energize. You may think it's better to pull an all-nighter and study up until your exam, but it's not likely that you'll do well when you the questions are hard to read because your eyes are blurry from being so tired. Getting enough sleep helps you retain information better and think more clearly when test time comes.

Plan ahead. If you start reviewing material earlier, there's not as much need to cram. Studying the material before the exam should serve as a refresher, not the one night you try to teach yourself the entire course's content.