Crunch Time

It's that time of semester again when we experience the crunch of final projects and exams. There is a policy here at UT that says a prof cannot give a test/quiz/project worth more than 10% of a student's grade within 7 days of the final. Sooo, that means all the profs are scrambling to get all their remaining tests/quizzes/projects completed within the next two weeks. When the profs scramble, the students scramble even more. Needless to say, there's a lot of scrambling going on at UT these days. My only comfort is that this semester's end is not like the end of the fall semester where we are not only dealing with finals, but the holidays as well. However, Easter is rather late this year . . .

What are your best tips for dealing with "crunch time"? This is my eighth and final semester here at UT (provided I pass Spanish) and I have learned a lot about dealing with semester end. Some things I've learned are:
1. Pace yourself: Don't wait until the last minute to get all the projects. papers, etc. done. You will needlessly wear yourself out. Learn how to effectively manage your time.
2. Don't panic! Take a deep breath and knock out one thing at a time. Three papers due on the same day? Work on one at a time and when it's done, it's done. Move on to the next one. Same thing with study groups - one at a time.
3. Review: take the time to read over your notes for your class(es). This is helpful when the prof springs a last-minute quiz on you.
4. Get a good night's sleep: It's useless if you can't stay awake during class - 'nuf said.
5. Take some downtime: Even if it's one afternoon or one night during crunch time. You need time to refuel and de-stress. Declare that time a "study free zone".

Every semester comes to this - final exams, projects and papers. How well you end the semester is up to you. Are you going to panic during crunch time or are you going to take a deep breath and pace yourself? Good luck as you finish the race that is this semester. Finish strong!! Stay tuned . . .