As the end of the semester is slowly approaching, finals week creeps up. The tension on campus is high because everyone can feel that the school year is coming to an end and need to start studying quickly. I was walking through Hillman Library and noticed it was crowded because students were probably rushing to start studying and writing end-of-semester papers.

During finals, remember that taking care of yourself is very important. It can be OK to pull an all-nighter studying — especially if that is what your brain wants you to — but make sure to still get some sleep the next day and give yourself a little break from the subject. I have noticed that whenever my friends go out to study for longer periods of time, they tend to forget to bring a snack or eat a meal. Due to this, they get tired quicker and their brains are no longer able to comprehend what they are studying. I recommend everyone fuel their body properly with food and water before and during so that they can get the best out of their studying.

I also think it is important to treat yourself! I love going to The Milkshake Factory on Forbes Avenue after a long day of studying for a little treat if it is still open. If not, Insomnia Cookies on Meyran Avenue is open late at night, and I think that is the perfect night treat after some late-night studying. If I ever need a little pick-me-up while I am studying, my friends and I love getting coffee from Saxbys Coffee in either Hillman or Cathy.

Some tips for studying are to try to make study groups in your classes, whether it is on GroupMe or iMessage, and study with others. This personally helps me a lot because I can understand other people’s point of view on a certain topic and it helps me remember it more. I also recommend booking a quiet study room in Hillman, whether it is with a friend or by yourself. This also helps me a lot because sometimes I have trouble studying in my room due to my tendency of quickly getting distracted by other things. Having a friend studying with you, in my opinion, keeps you more in check because you can hold each other accountable for studying.

One tip that I never took advantage of during my first year was going to office hours and meeting with either your professor or teaching assistant. This has helped me a ton so far this semester, and I am not sure why I didn’t take advantage of it before. Going to office hours also helps your professor understand where you are struggling, so they can help you as much as they can for the upcoming test or quiz.

These tips have helped me a lot in the past and I hope they are useful for other students as well. It is important to have a productive study, but also make sure to keep your mental health straight as well!