Madalyn Godfrey/Fourth Estate

Cramming is overrated, relax instead

BY MADALYN GODFREY, COPY EDITOR

I may be suffering from senioritis but I have concluded, over the years of being in school, that cramming for final exams is overrated. Finals are culminations of knowledge you received in your classes throughout the semester. If you are studious and retain the information taught by your classes each week, then by the time you reach your final exam, you should already know the material.

While I believe that not everyone should adhere to these beliefs because granted, some people do need that last-minute cram session, especially if taking a significantly hard class; however, by the end of the semester, you either know or don’t know the material and cramming won’t necessarily change that. Instead, it will only cause you to stress and make you more inclined to pull an all-nighter, which doesn’t really help you.

What does help you in your final exams is taking care of yourself and finding ways to relax after a hard semester. Here are three things you should do to relax before final exams.

1. Sleep

Often overlooked as busy college students, catching up on sleep is necessary. If your body is exhausted, then so is your mind. Additionally, by sleeping, you have a break from all the stresses of school, people or life in general. Sleeping not only supports physical well-being but also emotional and mental well-being. When we are well-rested, we handle stress better, including the stresses that come from final exams.

2. Light reading

Textbooks are boring and can be draining and sometimes the best way to counteract draining texts is by doing light reading of a book you enjoy. It doesn’t matter if the book is one that you have read before or one that you have been putting off. Reading helps you stimulate your mind and focus after being scattered from managing many tasks and assignments for weeks. As a plus, by reading something you enjoy, it can uplift your mood and lead you to facing your final exams more positively.

3. Go out with friends

Socializing is one of the greatest ways to relax and get your mind off of final exams and what better way than by spending time going out with friends. With Washington pretty much in our backyard, there are tons of events and activities to do, whether it is visiting the holiday market, going ice skating or taking time to walk down the National Mall. Additionally, if your friends are in school with you, you all can bond over the hardships of the semester while looking forward to the break. By being with those in your support systems, it can remind you of the bigger things in life than an exam and give you a boosted sense of morale to finish out your last part of the semester.

While final exams induce the need to cram, by choosing to sleep, do light reading and going out with friends, we can de-stress and go into your final exams with a clear mind, helping us to pass and finish out our classes strong.