Worried about the first finals of the school year? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Making time to study, finding a quiet spot, and staying on focus can seem like even more added stress, but don’t fret, UCLA has lots of options and your classmates have great advice!
Find a quiet place to focus! During finals week, there are extended hours all around campus, including some 24-hour spots. Powell library and Charles E. Young are open for 24 hours until Friday the 13th of finals week. On the hill, some of the dining halls (Feast, B Plate, The Study), as well as 3rd floor Covel and De Neve Plaza are open late at night. For full hours on the hill, check out reslife.ucla.edu/academics/#placestostudy. Photograph by Victoria Solkovits.
Aryan Arora, a second year Computer Science major, spends time with friends and listens to music to lessen finals stress. Photo by Anthony Vara.
Mechanical Engineering major Jacob Serber says, "My finals advice to everyone: take breaks! You'll be too overwhelmed otherwise."
Fourth-year Marine Biology student Jessica Nakahira says her best tip is to "study while wearing comfortable clothes." Photo by Kaylie Sagara.
To help reduce the stress from her upcoming Psychology final, Elise Thrift stays on top of everything she can so that way she can take a bunch of naps guilt free. Photo by Anthony Vara.
Don't forget to eat! You need food and caffeine to maintain your energy and focus while studying. Photo by Victoria Solkovits.
There are lots of places on campus to grab a snack between study sessions, try Ackerman, Luvalle, or Court of Sciences. Photo by Victoria Solkovits.
Alyssa Egbert uses physical activity to reduce stress. Her activities of choice are rock climbing and running. Alyssa finds that information is a lot easier to intake after. Photo by Anthony Vara.
Sophia Walsh, a Political Science sophomore says "The only thing that gets me through finals is Yerba, so my advice is to drink as much Yerbamate as you need to get you through it!" Photo by Victoria Solkovits.
Lourdes Gonzalez, a second year Math major, has recently procured Disney+. She has found that watching The Simpsons is a great way to cope with finals stress. Photo by Anthony Vara.
Try heading outside to study, the fresh air can help prevent you from getting too sleepy! Photo by Victoria Solkovits.
Brandon Lyons is a second year Biology major. Brandon will take walks around campus or up The Hill to help clear his mind. He also notes that napping is another one of his favorites. Photo by Anthony Vara.
Senior Emma Shahabi says "When I study, I do lots of practice problems. I also need to find the right study space to not get distracted." Photo by Kaylie Sagara.
Public Affairs student Amy Stanfield says "If I had to give advice to everyone else studying, it would be to start early so you can feel prepared when the time for the test comes." Photo by Victoria Solkovits.
Sendy Luna is a fourth year Sociology major. To reduce stress this final's season, Sendy is watching as many episodes of Stranger Things as she can. Photo by Anthony Vara.
If the coffeehouse or the patio is too full, check out some of the other study spots in Kerckhoff! Photo by Victoria Solkovits.
In her second year as a Business Economics major, Joanna Lin has had some time to figure out what works best for her during finals season. She does yoga! Photo by Anthony Vara.
Polina Vorobyeva, a World Arts and Culture major says her study tip is to "Throw away your phone! Or at least hide it somewhere, that's my biggest distraction." Photo by Kaylie Sagara.
Danny Sullivan is a fourth year Psycho-Bio major who is intending on going to Med School. With Med School aspirations, Danny needs a good way to relieve school stress, adn that is what he has found. Danny meditates for around 5 minutes per day. He says taking that time to not think about anything is extremely helpful. Photo by Anthony Vara.