How to Get Through Finals Part I
Finals. They're never fun for anybody. Period. But hey, at least you're not alone in the struggle! As much as finals aren't fun, they are manageable. It'll be my 5th semester of finals at the end of this year and here are some tricks I've picked up on...
1. Study in Different Locations
I find it very difficult to continuously go back to the same spot to study. I did this my freshman year; a week before finals, every day I would wake up early to make sure I got my cubicle in Tisch. Eventually, I felt so comfortable there, I wasn't being productive anymore. Here are some places I've found over the years that work well for studying places:
A) 574 Boston Ave - The best building hands down, and I'm not just saying this because I'm an astrophysics major and I spend all of my time there anyway. 574 Boston Ave has study areas for everybody. You can use the huddle rooms, little glass enclosures with a table and chairs, each equipped with a white board (and I suggest you bring your own markers if you can).
You can use the blackboards in the hallway on the 4th floor or just sit at the tables out there:
These blackboards are by far my favorite way to study. I use these chalkboards to do an overview of the entire course I'm studying for. These are my notes from AST32- Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy
That's just me, though. I'm a early riser, so I'll wake up early enough that no one else is there studying and that way I don't feel bad taking up 2 chalkboards! If you don't want to make the trek all the way to 574 Boston Ave, there are plenty of places on main campus that are great for studying as well.
B) Mayer Campus Center - The top floor of the campus center is, in my opinion, very underrated. Most people like to study at the Rez or near the Commons/Hotung. There's nothing wrong with studying there, but I find I run into more people I know when I'm there, which is distracting. Instead, I try to find a table upstairs. Each table has a lamp and an outlet.
C) Tisch Library - A classic. I used to go down and work at the cubicles towards the back of the second floor. The cubicles are nice because they're easy to hide in. Each cubicle is fairly large, so I never had a problem with space to work on. But, sometimes these cubicles can get pretty depressing, since there are no windows, only the fluorescent lights. If you get to the library early enough, or just get lucky, try grabbing one of the tables by the windows. This way you can at least see the outside world and don't feel like you've been lost in the library forever.
D) Lily Music Library - Personally, I have never been to the music library. I walk past it every day when I go to my classes in Granoff, but I've never been inside. I have heard great things about this library, though. I heard it's very quiet and there is a good amount of seating.
E) Ginn Library - If you're feeling extra daring, venture to where the graduate students lurk. In Ginn, you can hear a pen drop, although if you drop your pen, get ready for scolding looks from the graduate students around you. This library is super quiet, but there are plenty of rooms to explore for seating. Personally, I enjoyed the second floor towards the windows overlooking the tennis courts. If you like quiet, I would recommend choosing desks away from group work rooms, since those get pretty loud sometimes.
F) Carmichael Dining Hall - I lived in Carmichael last year, so walking downstairs and studying was something I did a lot. I liked studying in Carm because (1) food and (2) a lot of people are there studying too, so you're not alone. The one downside is that there are very few outlets in Carm, so if you can snag one, I recommend you do. There are outlets towards the back of the dining hall, one in each indented area, there's an outlet behind the condiments, there's an outlet on the column across the way from the table behind the condiments, and there are outlets by the bar seating area.
G) Dewick Dining Hall - I would be very cautious studying in Dewick. It might work for a little while, but Dewick tends to be one of those places where you run into everybody you know. If you were to study in Dewick, I would recommend going to the second floor, especially the balcony, or to the long tables behind the stairs/dish drop-off location. The one advantage Dewick has is that it has a lot more outlets than in Carmichael; there are outlets at nearly every table on the second floor. This is what the second floor looks like.
