With Love, Thelms

It’s finally here.

The week us college students have anxiously dreaded rolling around, and the week we get eager about diving into. IT’S FINALS WEEK. At least it is for me. If you’re in school like muah, you’re either in the same predicament as me and it’s here or it’s well on its way.

Personally, I don’t dread finals as most people do. Not sure how, when, or why but somewhere along the way my viewpoint on finals week changed. It’s stopped being this looming doom that settled into my bones and eventually dissipated. Somewhere along the way it became something I looked forward to.

Weird, right? Trust me, I know.

I guess I just started welcoming the stress and focusing more on the fact that the end was near, rather than the doom of a bunch of tests hitting me in the fucking face (sorry Mom!) in less than five days LOL.

I mean honestly, thinking about it like a sort of Doomsday would drive any sane person INSANE.

Granted it is totally insane how everything hits you at once.

BUT. You don’t have to perceive it that way. Here are 5 ways to remain sane during finals week:

#1

BELIEVE THAT WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE IS IN FACT, ACHIEVABLE 

Sometimes, it’s so easy to let the fear of wanting to do well stop you from actually doing well. We get so wrapped up in all it’s going to take to get to the finish line and end up never making it to said finish line. Think about it. We’ve literally spent all semester long learning loads of material that we’ve actually retained. Our brains are miracle little machines that store so much and greater powerhouses than we could ever imagine. Believe in the capability you have to not only learn, but retain. Those final tests for all your classes ARE doable! We’ve literally taken mini tests that in one way or the other (regardless if you’ve bombed them or not) that have prepped us for this very moment. Go out and fly babes and make those tests your bitch LOL. That A++ you’re trying to achieve is so possible, it’s sickening. So go out and snatch it.

#2

DON’T FORGET TO FEED YOUR BRAIN & YOUR TUMMY

Okay, so for the longest I completely sucked at this. I would go hours while studying and not even feed myself a little granola bar at the least. I didn’t realize how detrimental this was to my learning, until the stern reprimand from my mom made me actually begin snacking while studying. BUT. I wasn’t just snacking on anything! I was snacking on healthy options (fruits, veggies, fiber bars, etc) that would give me a brain power boost. So make sure you’re eating and not skipping meals! Your performance will be sooo much better if you eat small frequent meals that energize you with necessary fuel for the week.

food for thought: when you’re hungry, your concentration is SO off and furthermore being unproductive is a given. 

#3

GIVE YOURSELF MUCH NEEDED BREAKS

I can’t stress this enough. STOP. Put the pen/pencil (I prefer pencil) down. Close the book. Shut the laptop. Turn off the overhead lamp at your desk. At this point the rest is up to you babe. Whatever helps you relax and ease your mind, even if it’s just for 30mins… GO DO IT. Whether that’s listening to soft jams, reading, watching a good tv show, or just resting your eyes — it could make a world of difference. Sitting at your desk all day staring at the same notes, and reading the same three sentences will do nothing for you, but leave you in state of stagnancy. Sometimes, all you need to grasp information for whatever reason you’re just not getting, is to take a mini break. Let your mind have a breather from all things concerning school. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that when you do that, more productivity and comprehension will occur.

#4

MAKE A SCHEDULE/CHECKLIST & STICK TO IT

I loooooove checklist and schedules you guys. Honestly, I don’t know where or who I’d be if I didn’t have a good checklist or schedule to stick to. There’s something so comforting about following a schedule and sticking to it. I’m in nursing school, and though I may not have control of a lot of things in my life right now; I do have control of this. It legit makes me feel unstoppable LOL. Make a schedule and refer to it often through the week! You’ll find that it does wonders to help you adjust and adapt to the hectic windstorm that is finals. It’ll also make finals week not seem so daunting because you’ll look at it as a day by day thing rather than a looming week of doom thing.

#5

REMEMBER WHAT THE DEGREE YOU’RE TRYING TO SNAG MEANS TO YOU

This really brings it all home. If you remember why you’re doing it and going after it all, the craziness of finals week won’t seem so bad. Personally, whenever finals week is draining me and I feel like I have no more to give, I ask myself.

‘Why are you doing this Thelma’

& the answer is the same each time.

‘Because I want to make a difference. I want people to leave my presence better than when they first came.’

Ultimately, you’re doing it to reach some sort of end goal. Therefore, you’re just gonna have to grind a little bit more each time till you get to where you’ve always dreamed of being.

For all my college student babes, I hope your finals week is breezy.

Stay sane,

Thelms xx

I’m wearing: Hanes T-shirt, H&M cardi, Pacsun ripped denim, Dolce Vita Heels (linked similar), & Aldo chain bag.

Photos by Julia Elizabeth