Finals week can be one of the most stressful parts of the semester, with everyone frantically juggling multiple tests, papers, presentations, and the like that account for decent portions of their grades. To lessen the stress, a few professors and students weighed in with their tips for a successful end of the term.

Professor of English John Rickard provided insight on a good final paper, noting that “There is no one right way to craft a good final essay, but certainly common sense dictates that you begin by struggling to find a clear point or argument that will hold the essay together. Often it helps to make a list of the main points you want to discuss; think about how those points relate to each other in a chain of reasoning related to your topic, and then turn them into an outline of the paper. You can then convert the outline into a series of paragraphs that clearly address your main points and subtopics. Be prepared to adapt if your thesis changes somewhat as you write; that’s part of the learning involved in such assignments.”

As for a successful final exam–both written and oral, Rickard suggests that you “go over the material covered by the exam carefully; I find that making notes and synthesizing the material by hand helps map out the relationships between texts and ideas in my mind. Be aware of the amount of time you’ll need to devote to each part of the exam, so that you do not find yourself struggling to complete everything in a rush at the end.”

Emma Cousins ’18 believes the perfect snack for finals is “pretzels and peanut butter. They’re filling and yummy.”

Snacks are an important way to keep your brain running smoothly while you prepare, as well as getting enough sleep and breaking up your studying time, contrary to popular belief.