okay friends here’s a quick Guide to Doing the Finals w/Mental Illness (feel free to add)
first of all, before finals, as much as you can: get cozy with teachers. go to office hours. have 3 questions written down that might actually help you, ask them. if you have anxiety about this stuff, rehearse beforehand, and keep the door open (it will feel less confrontational).
assume you will go into Bad Mode at some point. when you can, beforehand, start early. if it’s 2 sentences, a thought on what your thesis could be, whatever - get it started. it’s much easier from a start than from a blank page.
in assumption of Bad Mode, have your basic needs taken care of. if you know getting food is going to be difficult, stock up on snacks so that you force yourself to eat during the day. i don’t care if they’re oreos. you need to eat. if you can mix in some healthy stuff - nuts, carrots, apples, etc - go for it. but eat. buy dry shampoo for the days you can’t shower, or use corn starch. set out the clothes you will wear for the week.
if you can skip caffeine, do so. most of us won’t but… it does help anxiety.
find out if you study better with friends or alone. most “study groups” are a waste of time if people aren’t focused, and focusing on people and school is almost impossible with The Mental Illness, which wants you to not do work.
bribe yourself if you have to. “if i pass with [this average] i can buy all the things already in my amazon cart.” don’t go shopping, though. you’ll find yourself looking at strange shit for a dollar and it’s 4 in the morning and the essay isn’t written.
figure out what learning style you are and study using that. remember that if you doodle, you’re probably a kinesthetic learner - learn by doing. visual learners? flashcards. auditory? tape the lectures. kinesthetic? write it down, buddy.
make lists. they reduce anxiety and help you see that what feels overwhelming is only like 3 things.
figure out where you focus best. libraries or your room?
protip: use the school’s computer. you know, the big embarrassing ones everyone can see? having your screen visible to others will help you stay on track - particularly because the people waiting to use the computers will be v annoyed with you if you’re not busy.
fire your inner critic. you’re on full Survive mode, pal. you don’t have to make everything perfect to your standards. i find myself pointlessly obsessing about colorcoding and pretty writing. no time for that anymore. it’s there, it’s legible? it’s good enough.
five page literary/research essay gotcha down? get your evidence all of it. write it in the document. then put your own words about it. a good method is “i’m gonna give you evidence. [evidence]. this is an analysis of the evidence”. then put a sentence before your first to transition into it. then put one after your last to transition out of it. suddenly you have a lot of words with what feels like very little work.
wait to write introductions until the essay is done
white noise - good for study, stim, and also sleep
when you need to, just fess up. admit you have a problem. tell your teachers, talk to them about it, try to set up something to help you make up missing work. I want to say 95% of the time… teachers will do their best to pass you. they just want to see you try.
if you have trouble focusing on 1 thing at a time - do multiple homeworks at once. if you go on tumblr not even bc you care about this rotten website but because you just need something else, this will probably help you. two sentences on essay 1, three math problems, three words on essay 2? before you know it, it adds up.
i hear a lot of “quit social media!” but tbh if you reward yourself with like… human interaction… dont quit it. i’m like “okay i want to message him back but i need to finish X amount of work and then i can”.
small rewards are the bomb.com
honestly dress for success. if you’re in full No mode, it can be easy to wear the same thing 8 times in a row. if you pick out an outfit you love, and spend the time getting ready in the morning - it does help. and if you need to be in pj’s to attend the final? at least you’re there tbh.
grades are not a reflection of how much you learned, how hard you tried, or anything like that. they are frequently subjective. remind yourself that you are not defined by someone’s subjective amount.
tell a buddy about what you’re dealing with. have someone who knows. who listens to you.
sleep helps you learn way better than cramming tbh
