Final Exams and Projects: One Last Push!

By Jacob Chen

It has been a grueling semester, you are tired, and you just want it to be over. Maybe that looks like procrastinating your final projects, or being too tired to study for your upcoming exams. Don’t let that be you! Final projects and exams can be a HUGE portion of your grade, ranging from 20 percent to even 30 or 40 percent of your overall grade! Slacking now is like wasting away 30 percent of the effort you have put into the semester! It’s finals week, so give it one last push. 

Staying Productive

There are many ways to keep yourself productive and hold yourself accountable to do so. Methods like scheduling out dates to do certain assignments, or studying at a given time can help drastically with preventing procrastination and staying on top of everything. Partition out your day by chunks, and figure out what assignment you’re doing at a certain time. Once you have a set schedule and everything portioned out over the course of a week with structured deadlines, you will have a better grasp on all of the work you have ahead of you. This can make it drastically less overwhelming when it is portioned out, and give you time to focus on everyday life outside of studying and homework with less stress. To hold yourself accountable to the deadlines you have set, create alarms on your phone to remind you when to do certain assignments or study sessions. 

Pomodoro Technique for Studying

The Pomodoro technique is an excellent way to study or do homework for a long period of time while keeping yourself focused and reducing the risk of burnout. The Pomodorito Blog states, “The core principle is beautifully simple: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After completing four “pomodoros,” you take a longer 15-30 minute break. This cycle helps maintain high levels of concentration while preventing mental fatigue. Research in cognitive psychology supports the effectiveness of the Pomodoro Technique. Studies show that our brains naturally experience attention cycles, with peak focus typically lasting 20-30 minutes. By aligning work sessions with these natural rhythms, the technique maximizes our mental resources while preventing burnout.” For more information on the Pomodoro method and its background, check out the link below.

The Complete Beginner’s Guide to the Pomodoro Technique – Pomodorito Blog 

Maintaining Quality of Work

Although the semester is nearly at the end, you may be eager to rush through the finish line to get it all out of the way. It is easy to speed through an assignment to get it out of the way, and I’m sure we have all been there, however, now is the time to give it your best effort! Maintain the quality of your work and treat these final couple of weeks with the utmost respect. Your grade depends on it! One bad showing on a final could very well mean achieving a C- instead of that A+ you’ve been working so hard for. Best of luck!