It’s the most dreaded time of the semester—yes, finals are looming on everyone’s mind. After three to five days spent hiding in our rooms at home, promising to be productive but actually stalking high school friends online, we have returned to campus. With the shared hope of ending the semester on a high note without having to move into Olin Library to do so, let the studying commence. Here are Scene staffers’ best suggestions for surviving reading week and final exams.

Take a break. I am so not one for the marathon study session fueled by caffeine and self-loathing. I am definitely not going to study 24 hours per day. It is only healthy to plan fun and restful breaks. Without a locked-in schedule, reading week is actually the perfect time to catch up over lunch with friends you haven’t seen in a while. Also, I always try to plan a few end-of-semester celebrations to say goodbye to friends before they head home for the holidays. I know we’re all here to learn and achieve, but college (and life, for that matter) is about so much more than work. Take the time to care for yourself and have fun with your friends.
— Laura Harvey

Treasure the remaining time you have to spend with friends before being separated for the entirety of winter break. Plan a gift swap—a white elephant exchange is a fun alternative to the classic secret Santa, or you can treat each other to dinner. Set a low dollar limit or just make kind cards for one another—it will be a great mood booster just when you’re feeling overwhelmed about all the exams and group projects you have. Set aside an hour or two when you can swap gifts, bake cookies and listen to some feel-good holiday songs. It will be just the pick-me-up you need!
— Claudia Vaughan

You might try using the extra time during reading week to switch up your study habits. If you normally study really late at night, try studying in the morning around 10 or 11 a.m. (not anything crazy like 6 a.m., but still before lunch time). You might find that the change is refreshing, even if it feels weird at first. In general, this mid-morning time has been proven to be a period of remarkable productivity, especially if you eat a hearty, protein-filled breakfast. Another productive tip is a midday workout: walking or running on the treadmill or elliptical for just 20 minutes releases both dopamine and adrenaline to boost your mood and amp your energy levels. Without the schedule obligations of classes, reading week offers you the chance to change your normal routine and structure your days around being your most productive self.
— Erica Sloan

Although many students at Wash. U. do a ton of studying, it’s definitely important to make your free time count. If you’re going to study hard in afternoons and nights, you owe it to yourself to have a nice, relaxing dinner so that you can take it easy and recuperate your strength for that nighttime push. By enjoying your study breaks and not procrastinating much while studying, you will be left clinging to your sanity, as opposed to just the thought that soon it will all be over. If you’re efficient, you will still be able to enjoy the times you’re not studying just as if it were the Friday following midterms week.
— Tyler Friedman

If you can’t bear to separate yourself from that essay you’ve been tirelessly working on for more than five minutes, try taking a super short but super beneficial dance break. We’ve all gotten to that point where no matter how many times we read the words on a page, our minds refuse to register their meaning. Cranking up your favorite tunes and getting goofy can give your mind a much-needed refreshment and you an energy boost. A Stanford University study on the benefits of dancing noted that dancing “increases cognitive acuity at all ages.” So dancing basically makes you smarter. And don’t feel pressured to meet anyone’s standards—because dancing in this case could just equate to jumping up and down and spinning in the air repeatedly. Who is anyone to judge your A-worthy study methods?
— Maisie Heine

We all know that it’s important to get enough sleep, but it can be hard to prioritize shut-eye over everything you need to get done. But remember that many peer-reviewed studies have shown that sleep can help improve your memory and learning. There comes a point in every would-be all-nighter that we start to crash. Instead of pushing through that moment with energy drinks and caffeine to which you’ve probably built up a sizable tolerance to by now, take a quick nap. You’ll be much more productive—not to mention less grumpy—when you wake up.
— Manvitha Marni

Start packing early. After you’ve finished a stressful week of finals, the last thing you need is to frantically throw your things into a suitcase for winter break and end up forgetting your toothbrush. If you need a study break or can’t look at your final paper one minute longer, take 10 minutes to fold some clothes, take out your trash or defrost your fridge. By the time you finish your last exam or paper, you’ll be all but ready to leave campus, and instead of packing at the last minute, you can spend that time saying goodbye to friends you won’t see for almost a month. That’s a much better way to start your winter break than scrambling to print your boarding pass.
— Manvitha Marni

With those thoughts imparted, good luck over the next week. It’s our hope at Scene that you won’t just fill seats in Olin next week: maybe you’ll also spend some time exploring St. Louis, having a nice meal out or just hanging out with your friends before heading home for a much-anticipated hibernation period.