It’s the last hurdle before the finish line.

Finals are next week with winter break following immediately after. It might seem hectic, but if students can prepare for final exam week it will go by smoothly.

Students know the typical tips when preparing for finals, such as making sure you get enough sleep at night and eating healthy meals before exams. While lifestyle changes may be beneficial, going to bed early and eating a banana won’t help everyone. Here are some lesser-known tips to maximize your study time and ace your finals.

Many students feel stressed while preparing for final exams. One of the best ways to relieve that stress is to laugh. Laughing has shown to relieve a lot of tension that gets built up in the body. While taking a break from studying, watch a funny video or television show to give your mind a break.

Speaking of studying, while doing so, try to utilize all your senses. Touch the paper you’re reading or remember the smell of a snack that you eat while studying. The more that you use your senses while studying, the easier it will be to remember information on the final later.

One of the other more effective ways to know you’ve learned something is to teach it to someone else. If you have stuffed animals or pets, teach them instead. It may seem weird at first, but it will help prove to yourself that you know the material well. To take it to the next level, get a study group together and teach them the material. Having people give you feedback will be helpful for you and can help the whole group.

Music is also a great way to help with memorization or association of concepts. Take your favorite songs and rewrite the lyrics in a way that can fit concepts that you would typically find difficult to remember. It makes associating that specific information easier.

Students can get caught up in all the studying and completing final projects and forget to reward themselves for the work completed. A great way to reward yourself is to meditate. It helps clear the mind of everything even if it is just a few minutes. It will also keep students motivated as well as being able to soak in what you’ve studied during your session.

Studying for final exams can seem like a daunting task especially when it is so close. Just know the most effective ways to study that will work for you and be consistent. Each student will know what works best for them.

Preparation will make final exam week less stressful and more bearable. Keep your goals in mind because the end of the semester is so close. Finish the semester on a high note.

Written by Isabella Schneider, staff writer. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.