We see it in movies and in TV shows, if you are not studying all the time, you will probably fail. Well, almost 3 semesters of college later (!!!), the phenomenon of all nighters is not helpful.

Finals week rolls around and we get emails, and see signs about “24 Hour Canaday.” It is definitely difficult not to stress about everything that needs to be finished in the short amount of time, but 24 hour Canaday is NOT a challenge! Please, please, PLEASE do not stay in Canaday for 24 hours! In the world we live in of snapchatting your study guide at 2:34 AM, tweeting about the finals struggle, the constant Bryn Mawr work poker (ie. Friend A: I have 2 papers and 3 exams due next week, Friend B: Well I have 3 papers and 4 exams next week…), and of course thinking college is all about staying up very late to study, it is difficult to not take advantage of 24 hour Canaday. But when you are working, it is important to think about if what you are doing is really effective, or if you are just wearing yourself out for no reason.

There have been many studies done to showing how studying late at night effects academic performance. I’ll save you a click, it’s better to sleep early and not cram/pull all nighters. Of course if you have a 10 page paper due tomorrow afternoon and you are only on page 3, work on that paper! But don’t make it an everyday occurrence.

So as the number of “tomorrows you have left to study” decreases, please don’t increase the number of days you in Canaday without leaving. Get some food, take a shower, and get some sleep! Good luck and remember done is good!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Just kidding, it’s finals season! With papers, exams, projects, etc. it is often a stressful time for everyone. Personally, I’ve never felt more stressed out in my life than I have the last couple of weeks, and the worst is yet to come.

Let me tell you something, this stress is not doing anything helpful. It’s natural to feel the pressure to get things done, but it is also extremely important to take breaks. I’m not saying go on a road trip to New York or anything, but step away from your book/computer/paper for a little bit and just breathe!

It is so very important for students to take breaks while studying because after a while, studying for x amount of hours straight is not effective. After a while, you just cannot retain any information, so while you are “studying” nothing is really going in your brain. But with breaks in between, your studying can become much more effective. It is even great to study take a break and quiz yourself on what you were working on, or to re-read your essay to see if it makes sense!

Here are my top break ideas, that don’t waste too much time but is enough to relieve some stress:

1. Call a friend or family member, it’ll make them happy and in turn make you happy! These positive endorphins actually will help you study more effectively and make you less stressed!
2. Take a dance break! Recently, I’ve had the urge to just dance (the new Bieber songs are completely danceable and so catchy.) and one of my friends loves doing Zumba in her room!
3. Take a quick power nap. 30 minutes max! Anything longer will make you feel groggy and you will not want to go back to studying.
4. Watch ONE funny youtube video. Again endorphins are good for you!
5. Take a shower, maybe even sing or listen to the new Adele album!

As the exam season continues please remember to take take care of yourselves! Make sure you are eating (no, ramen and easy mac don’t count), drink plenty of water, and be sure you are getting sleep! Remember,it doesn’t matter how much you study if you are not at your best (aka hangry, dehydrated and sleep deprived), your final work will probably reflect that!

And never forget: DONE IS GOOD!