It’s the Final(s) Countdown!

Picture this: college student, hair a mess, venti iced coffee perpetually glued to one hand, pencil in the other. It is clear they are running on what little caffeine they have left and are dancing with their breaking point.

This is the typical college student during finals week.

While this glamorous depiction might be something you’re all too familiar with, wouldn’t you like to stroll through finals stress-free this semester? No, I’m not living in a dream world; these luxuries actually do exist! And I’m here to give you the magic ingredient FO FREE: get some sleep people!

I know, how cliché could I be? But sleep (and not procrastinating your study routine) is one of the key ways to feel more confident about your finals exams! A lack of sleep is one of the primary causes of stress, and according to NPR, stress affects your memory and motivation.

Memory and motivation are two MAJOR KEYS in acing your exams!

Take it from someone who has experience with this: pulling an all-nighter is not the way to go. Here are a few reasons why, courtesy of Buzzfeed:

Sleep and long-term memory are directly correlated

When you sleep, the hippocampus in your brain gives you the DVR version of what you learned while awake. This allows that information to be stored in your long-term memory, hence you will remember all of those formulas for your exam!

You will feel like crap if you don’t sleep

This is a given. Everyone knows when you don’t sleep you don’t feel your best, and oftentimes you can feel your worst. Walking into a final exam feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus is no way to score an A.

Your brain will wear beer goggles

Not getting a proper amount of sleep can also turn you into a “compulsive maniac.” In essence, your ability to make rational decisions goes completely out the window and everything starts sounding like a good idea. Later on, you will immediately regret most of these decisions, the main one being refusing to sleep.

Your inner Grumpy Gus will come out to play

Finally, as if you didn’t already hate the world enough, factor in the 3 hours of sleep you’ve scavenged in the last 48 hours while cramming for finals. Looking at your professor with pure disdain while simultaneously plotting your revenge will also, you guessed, not get you that A you’re looking for.