It is easy, when facing finals, to feel as though you are all alone. Now, more than ever though, we must not forget what is perhaps our greatest resource: the collective wisdom of the Columbia student body. As a reminder of the quality of this wisdom, tonight, we at Bwog feature an apparently anonymous act of goodwill. Supplementing their RA’s finals advice board, an individual has chosen to donate their time to supporting their fellows in their struggle. May the helpful hints they had for us stand as a testament to the quality of our culture through finals (at least until the RA notices)!

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Inspired, Bwog couldn’t help but offer you some advice of our own. Though we wouldn’t dare claim to have reached the enlightenment bestowed above, we hope that these too can offer some small comfort.

  1. Too much? Or not enough! It’s natural when you’re feeling overwhelmed to want to cut down on extra activities and focus on studying for your finals. You need to fight that instinct. Focus too hard and you blow finals out of proportion, turning them in your mind into an insurmountable obstacle. Now is the time to load up on as many extra commitments as you can. Volunteer your time as a tutor! Enter as many competitions as possible! Train for a triathlon! Soon finals will be the least of your worries. (PROTIP: make sure these commitments are binding!!!)
  2. Motivate yourself with competition! Feeling ready to turn in for the night? Take a moment and consider all the people who want your job (That’s right, your job!): The other ivy-leaguers who spent the past two years networking at events you never heard of, the state-schoolers who have taken advantage of a lighter workload to pursue advanced research; the grad schoolers who are overqualified but need to pay rent. Your grades this semester could determine your future. Don’t feel like sleeping now, do you?! (PROTIP: Pulling multiple all-nighters before your exams is the best way to make sure your study sticks!!!)
  3. Consider your place in the universe! Reread Ecclesiastes. Ask yourself the important questions. Can anything you do really matter? What is the point of all this work? Don’t we all, in the end, die alone? If you don’t think you have time or that these questions are unknowable, take comfort in the knowledge that your classmates have them all figured out and can tell you the answers have helped enormously on all past finals. (PROTIP: They won’t tell the answers because they’re obvious if you think about them!!!)