Student Blog: Finals Season!

We have finally reached what can be considered the most stressful and chaotic part of the school year: Finals. A time where sleep doesn't exist and caffeine is in high demand. Going into my fifth round of college finals, I have determined that it does not in fact get easier. It gets harder and more stressful. It feels like there is never enough time for anything and it is almost as if there is a large timer counting down to the end.

While it is often misconstrued that those who study theatre and the performing arts don't have a heavy course load or hard finals- that could not be more wrong. In fact, I would argue that our finals are even more tedious and time consuming then most majors. We are often writing paper after paper, accompanied by in-person performance finals that require hours upon hours of rehearsal time. We spend our time studying and analyzing text, memorizing lines, dancing till 2 AM in the studios, and rehearsing our pieces. We even do all of these things while sometimes being in a department show or participating in extracurricular activities and jobs outside of school. Long story short, being a theatre major is NOT easy.

As we head into finals, I wanted to share some of my tips for having a good finals season:

1. Drink water- I cannot stress this one enough. You may think that you are drinking enough, but you probably aren't. It is so important to stay hydrated, especially when you are singing and dancing all day long. Your body needs water in order to recuperate after long days. So please drink some water!!
2. Find time to sleep- It sounds silly and I know that this is crunch time (and I am guilty of not following this one as well), but sleep is so important. Especially when you are stressed. It will give your brain a chance to rest and calm down after a long day of studying and/or rehearsing. Even a short little nap can work wonders.
3. Don't procrastinate!- I am also guilty of not following this one. It can be so hard to sit down and do the work, but the sooner you get things done, the less you have to worry about them! Plan out your schedule, figure out what you need to do, and get to it! This is your sign to stop waiting to do your finals' work.
4. Stay positive- I know that it can feel like the end of the world and that things may look grim, but you got this! Maintaining a positive mindset is so important in regards to self motivation to get your work done. The work will get done and finals will soon be over.
5. Make time for self care- Don't wait until it's too late to do self care. Self care should be a constant activity, not just a last resort effort to make things better. Find time in your busy schedule to take care of yourself; whether that be watching a quick tv show, eating your favorite snack, doing some light stretching, or calling a friend. It is not procrastination if you are taking care of yourself!!!

At the end of the day, all that matters is that you tried your best and did the work. If things don't work out the way you wanted them to, then that is okay! A grade does not determine your self worth or your artistic abilities. You got this! Happy Finals!