Gina Lorusso

I am a horrible test taker, but I’m really good at studying, so my main focus for preparing for my finals is to take practice tests if they’re available in my courses. If they aren’t available, I find similar ones on study websites.

I prepare for the practice exams by studying how I normally do: with flash cards, definition memory and by making acronyms for terms or theories that are hard to remember.

Once I take the mock tests, I look over what I got wrong and then study just those problems that I missed. Then I take the test again and again and again until I ace it.

Jackie Nevarez

To get through finals, I make minor changes and substitutions to my everyday routine.

As far as substitutions go, I switch coffee for tea and naps for eight hours of sleep. Coffee usually keeps me up and alert, but tea keeps me calm and helps me get to sleep. Adequate rest can be as important as studying, so I try to get at least eight hours each night.

Most importantly, I make sure to not stress out so much. As long as I do enough studying and show up to class, everything should be fine.

Kim Randall

Since finals week is pretty much the most stressful and hectic time of the semester, I try to keep myself in a place where I won’t lose my mind. To assure this, I use three methods: Lots of sleep, relaxed studying and me-time.

By getting lots of sleep, I am well rested and prepared for whatever the week will throw at me. Studying at my leisure and then having me time helps give me the balance that I need. If I don’t keep a balance, I’ll end up stressing myself out or over-studying, which never truly ends well.

Self-preservation is my main goal.

Danny Cozzi

This semester, I’ve had two weeks of finals to endure: Term papers last week and exams this week.

This nightmare is taking more out of me than a Chicago marathon — and I’m not even a runner. The only way I’ll survive this week is remembering that beyond the broken fragment of a man I’ve been reduced to there’s a human being who once enjoyed playing guitar and watching Coen brothers movies.

So, I’ve decided I’m going to do what I can to find a balance between academic success and basic survival and aim for somewhere in the middle. It’s not the worst idea I’ve had.