Surviving Your "Hell Week"

With the holidays getting closer and closer, many students are finding themselves in the home-stretch of their fall semesters. In fact, I myself have just one final exam left before I head home for a much deserved winter break.

For many students, final exam week is a difficult challenge to overcome. Term papers, exams, essays and group projects all due at the same time--and to make matters worse, these last few days usually play a huge part in determining final grades.

No matter what industry you’re in, you probably have to deal with deadline pressure and those occasional weeks where you can’t even seem to find time to breathe. Below are some tips that help me get through these tough times.

1. Order your tasks based on priority. What task has to be completed first? Or, which exam will you have to take first? The projects with the tightest deadlines should be your first priority. It can be difficult, but do your best to “forget” about your other pressures until you turn in or complete the others. If you mentally forget you have three other exams to study for and just focus on studying for the first one, it won’t seem like such a daunting task.
   

2. Procrastinate...a little. Procrastination can be very powerful, and can either make or break your chances of success. Although it is never a good idea to completely blow off studying to play Guitar Hero all night long, some distraction can be helpful. Reward yourself for every half hour or hour of studying/work with something you enjoy. For example, after an hour of studying, go grab an ice cream, do a little Internet surfing or watch some TV. Procrastination in moderation can help get your mind off of things for awhile, enough to let you feel refreshed and refocused once you get back to what you’re supposed to be doing.
   

3. Overestimate the importance and difficulty of things. I have found that doing this with projects and assignments is the best way to successfully complete them. For example, if a teacher assigns a take-home essay, don’t assume that it will be simple and quick to complete. I have actually found stress to be a good motivator that helps me to achieve my fullest potential. Overpreparing for an exam won’t hurt you, but underpreparing for one surely will. Without pushing yourself to a mental breakdown, “stressing out” a little about every project or exam serves as a little motivation. That way when you complete whatever task it was you can look back and say, “Well that wasn’t bad at all.”
   

4. Speculate. Figure out the worst and best case scenarios for your problem or task. For example, before exam week started, I went though all of my classes and figured out my current grade. Using that score, I factored in what my grade would be if I received a 0 percent, 50 percent and 100 percent on each exam. Knowing all I needed was at least a 50 percent on my psychology exam helped relieve some of the stress of studying. I knew I could then put more of an effort into studying for my male-female communication exam, which I need at least a 90 percent on to get the grade I desire.
   

5. There is no supplement for sleep. Sure caffeine and other products may have effects that make sleep seem unnecessary. And perhaps sometimes you may run into situations where you absolutely do not have time to sleep because of an impending deadline. However, when you are faced with the choice to continue cramming or get a few hours of rest, choose the sleep. Studying on low-energy is less rewarding than letting your body and mind relax and recharge. Once you’re at least a little rested, you’ll be more likely to be able to concentrate and recall information easily.
   

What about you? Students, what are your tricks that help you study and succeed? Professionals, what tips have you followed in order to avoid being overwhelmed by the stresses of your career?