As the spring semester comes to an end, students begin to prepare for class finals. This high-stress time comes with the onslaught of final projects, portfolios, papers, and exams. For some, final exams can potentially change your overall letter grade, for either the worse or better. It is up to YOU to prepare accordingly. Unfortunately for us students, there are a number of factors working against this preparation, i.e. burnout from the semester, increased likelihood of getting sick from stress, homesickness, etc. These are all common, but in my opinion, the biggest distraction from studying for finals is the newfound warm weather.
After many long, frigid, seemingly never-ending winter months, any sign of the sun is greeted with a collective Hallelujah in Morgantown, WV. Suddenly the streets are filled with students, all clad in the t-shirts and shorts kept tucked away in the back of dresser drawers and closets awaiting this day. Music can be heard playing at all times near the Mountainlair and High Street. Students are lounging on the newly greening grass, soaking up the vitamin D they’ve been missing while the sun was on vacation. Friends want to hang out and enjoy this first burst of spring together before heading our separate ways for the summer months. And all the meanwhile we’re supposed to keep our noses in our textbooks and pencils standing at full attention? Good luck.
It’s hard enough to prepare for finals without the warm summer rays coming through the library windows, seemingly beckoning you to leave your laptop behind and join the fun outside. The struggle is real and as such, I've come up with three ways to still enjoy the new warm weather while still working towards the best grades possible on your finals that are conducive to multiple studying types.
1. Study Outside
If you’re the type of person who can study and work with an active environment around you, this is a 
perfect way to soak up the sun while getting some school work done. I suggest bringing a blanket or a hammock if you have one so you can sit and be comfortable on the outside terrain. Steer clear of any high traffic areas such as Woodburn circle or the Mountainlair green so you're not as distracted by other students who may also be at these areas but not studying. The grassy area in front of the downtown library is a nice spot as students don't typically come to this area to hang out, so it should be a great place to get some work done.
2. Take Walks on your Study Break
It's no secret that your brain needs time to chill out during your study session. Trying to power your way through hours of work often leads to burnout and less effective studying. Taking a walk gives your brain time to relax and refresh. I suggest powering your laptop off and shutting the textbook every hour and a half or so and taking a short 10-minute walk outside. This will give you a mental break and the opportunity to take in some fresh air. You might even come back to your work with better, more solidified ideas on what you're studying!
3. Make a Game Out of Studying
This method will work best if you like to study with a group of people. One game my friends and I came up with is to pass a Frisbee around and whoever catches it has to answer a question from a stack of note cards on the subject we are studying. If you answer the question correctly you keep the card and whoever has the most cards at the end of the game wins. Of course, you can create any game that works best for your material and study group, all it takes is a little imagination.
By utilizing any of these methods you can study as much as you were planning to while still getting in on some springtime fun. Then you won’t feel like you’re missing out on any outdoor experiences due to your responsibilities. You might even find you study better in a refreshing outdoor environment than you do inside a library!
Good luck on finals!