It’s so easy to get wrapped up in our own lives during finals week.
After all, we just want to get good grades and survive through the week, so we can get home to our own beds and pets and prove to our parents we didn’t spend the entire semester joking around.
But if there’s one thing you don’t want to do, it’s become that friend.
It's the friend who’s always too busy and always has something going on.
You don't want to be the friend who drops off the face of the planet the week before and the week of finals.
We’re all in college. We all have classes, rehearsals and meetings to attend.
But being that friend is never a good thing.
Here are a few simple ways to not be that friend during finals:
1. Organize your time far enough in advance.
By being organized and managing your time well, you won’t be too stressed out when someone texts you to grab dinner or take a study break.
You know yourself better than anyone, so if you feel you’ll be extra stressed out this finals week, set aside time to catch up on extra studying over the weekend.
Wake up a couple of hours earlier if need be.
There are plenty of hours in the day to get your work done if you plan ahead well enough.
2. Respond to texts.
We live in a digital age, with our phones glued to our hands and iMessage available on our Macs.
There’s no way you never got that text.
Respond to your friend and let him or her know what you’re doing.
This way, you aren’t ignoring anyone, and no one is worried about you.
3. Be social.
It’s not healthy to have your head buried in books for hours at a time.
Yes, you're probably being productive and getting your work done, but you need some down time as well.
Set aside some time for you to relax and be with your friends.
Put down the books for an hour and eat dinner, grab a cup of coffee or go for a walk around your campus to get some fresh air.
Even doing your homework and studying with your friend is one way to combine your studying and social time.
Millennials are skilled multitaskers, after all.
4. Make sure you check in on your friends.
If you think you’ve been MIA while studying for finals, just send your friends a quick text letting them know what’s up.
It only takes a few seconds.
They’ll understand, since they also have finals and need to get studying done.
Sending out a quick text is a little reminder you haven’t forgotten about their existence.
5. Don’t complain about how much work you need to get done.
You’re not the only person on this campus who has stuff to do.
Instead of complaining about how much work you need to do, put an extra shot of espresso in your coffee and start getting sh*t done.
Although it feels good to vent, it also takes up a lot of time that could be spent studying.
Finals week shouldn’t be as stressful as it is.
It also shouldn’t be a time to turn into a hermit.
You and your friends all have homework and studying that needs to get done, so you don’t have to suffer through it alone.
While it's important to dedicate plenty of time to studying and finishing your essays, it’s also important to put the books down every once in a while and take a mental break.
Being that friend is annoying and easily avoidable, so just follow these tips, and you’ll be fine.
