Finals season is upon us—sometimes, this means a few reflections, one big test and maybe an essay. But if you’re like me, this finals season is especially stressful (ten things to turn in during one week?!?) However, the dreaded finals season can be stressful no matter what you have to do if you aren’t taking care of yourself properly. I’m going to be talking about some tips that help me during finals.

Taking 20 units is a lot of work, but it’s doable — and valuable. If I wasn’t taking 20 units, I wouldn’t be able to study everything I’m interested in. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, especially if it means not having to graduate late (and pay for extra semesters). USC is such a prestigious institution, and we pay a lot of money to be here. I figured I might as well make the most of my tuition, and there’s support in place to be able to do it.

Post-vacation blues are such a real thing. When you’re on vacation, it feels as though nothing matters, and you have all the time in the world to just enjoy yourself. Time often stands still, and there’s no better feeling.

The midterms season is already upon us, and this might be frightening, but there are ways to proactively approach studying for these exams. If you find yourself in the same predicament or simply want to create better study habits, consider these suggestions to get started on a successful midterms season.

Ahhh… that time of year strikes again. You’re balancing flu season, football tailgates, DoorDash fees, and, of course, all your classes that seem to have midterms that land in a two-day period. Although you can’t change your unfortunate testing schedule, here are some ways to live, laugh, and love through this nail-biting, anxiety-inducing, and heart rate spiking few weeks.

By: Sian Salazar ‘25 (Guest Blogger)

If you’re like me, chance are you’re already thinking about this upcoming finals season. I mean, we only have a month left. I might as well spend that month trying to make finals week as painless as humanly possible. Here’s how I plan on doing that.

By: Amy Argueta ‘24 (Guest Blogger)

Studying can be a daunting task, especially during midterm and final season when you have multiple tests in a week. Just the thought of it can lead us to procrastinate until we are pulling an all-nighter before a test and regretting all our decisions. Though it doesn’t have to be so draining. In this post I list some tips to help you get the most out of a study session just in time for midterm season.

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

How is it nearly midterms season? Since I took my first major midterm test yesterday, I figured it was time to share the tips and tricks I’ve gathered that have helped me through high school and college. From organization plans to study methods to essay writing tips, there should be something to aid your midterm journey in whatever form it might take.

By: Hannah Skinner ‘23

The end of the semester is upon us, and so are finals. It can be a tough few weeks, but there are ways to lessen the stress and take better care of ourselves too. Here are my wellness and study tips to help you succeed during testing season!

By: Karla Leung ‘22

With the move to online classes for a while, you’re probably spending a lot more time on your laptop — those classes that don’t allow laptops can’t say anything now! Of course there are hundreds of productivity tools out there, but these are a few that I use, or that I think would be useful to you all, to keep up and make online classes a bit easier.