THE LAST WEEK—IT’S TIME TO . . .

. . . finish up the courses, wrap up those last assignments, make the presentation—and go to those last lectures.

What do my students focus on this week? Three main areas: Administrivia. Planning for best performance during exam week. And maintaining mind and body for that last lap.

A word about those last lectures. 

Even if you are pressed to put the polish on a major paper, going to those last lectures is a must. 

These are the lectures where the less-than-perfectly-organized-professor will likely shoehorn in critical information that they know will be on the exam, but they haven’t covered it yet.

These are the lectures where hints are most likely to be dropped. These are the lectures where students will ask, “Will x be on the exam?” and even “What’s on the exam?” Not always, but often, those questions will be answered. You might even be the student to ask those questions. 

You want to be there to hear the answers.

Administrivia

Administrivia is trivial and obvious unless it gets overlooked. Then it can become a major pain.

So check to make sure you got credited for all your work.

Check your exam schedule. Note not just the times to write, but also the locations, and be sure you know how to get to each exam.

Check to see that any exam-writing accommodations you have are confirmed and documented.

Ensure your computer equipment, backup, and access are all in order.

List and attend to your own administrivia that may include paying library fines, returning lab equipment, et cetera.

Planning ahead for exam week

It’s easy to feel at loose ends and generally not sure just what you should be doing once the last class ends. To get the best for the rest of your term, plan a smooth transition as you segue from class time, through final study time and then through finals.

The key to pacing effectively to the end is to keep as much structure as you can. Get up, eat meals, groom, and go to bed at your usual times. Use what was class and travel time for additional study time.

Once you have checked your exam schedule, take your weekly scheduler and plot out the time from here to the end of the last exam. Schedule now so that you don’t have all-nighters, which can reduce your performance in the crunch. Schedule the exams, of course. Also schedule travel time. Schedule study time, allowing for which courses will need greater chunks of final review. But schedule flexibly, as there will be some efficiencies you discover, and some tasks that expand beyond your original estimates.

Address scheduling challenges, such as back-to-back exams. You can attempt to have those rescheduled, which is sometimes (not often) possible. Or you can schedule the way a multidiscipline, multisport athlete would schedule for a triathlon.

Planning in advance leaves so much less to chance.

Maintaining to the finish line

Keeping the schedule that works for you  is part of maintaining the mind and the body for this last lap. Your body does not need the stress of a discombobulated biorhythm. Scheduling flexibly reduces stress, as you are spending fewer cognitive resources on decisions about what to do when, what to do next.

The engine that makes it through the last lap is the one that gets good maintainenance, so schedule smart breaks, exercise, and social connection. You can be creative in these areas to maximize review and adapt to your schedule. 

That reward

Remember that reward we talked about earlier? Move that reward reminder to where you’ll see it each day, and can savour the anticipation of enjoyment. Endorse for every effort and every adjustment.

It’s a long week with much to do. It’s a wrap-it-up week, and you can do this!

Connect with me to explore how we might work together toward your academic success. [email protected] .

The information in this blog cannot take the place of support from your own mental health professional or community health resources. Reach out to them. And IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS, PLEASE DIAL 911.