Finals Week Essentials: 18 Items You Need To Survive Finals Week
*This post is about 18 items you need to survive finals week*
Finals week is the most intense week of the semester for college students and can become even more stressful if you don’t have the items you need to survive.
But don’t worry!
I went through “Finals” week SEVEN times (freshman year of college to my third and final year of law school) so I know EXACTLY what you need (and what you don’t need) to get through the week with your mind (and body) intact.
Even if you’re not studying for finals and are just studying for an exam, these items will help in a BIG way to survive it and the others down the road.
RELATED POST: 14 Amazing Breakfast Ideas That Won’t Make You Drowsy
Here are 18 finals week essentials you need to survive:
Disclosure: *This post contains affiliate links which means that I may receive a small commission at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my link.
1. Laptop cooler
This is a MAJOR finals week essential because you will be on your laptop virtually the ENTIRE time during finals week. The super sucky thing about being on your computer for hours, however, is that it gets really hot after long-term use.
The last thing you want to happen is to have to stop working from your laptop during a really good study sesh all because your computer gets too hot and shuts down.
The solution??
Get this laptop cooler so it keeps your computer cool no matter what while you’re studying during finals week. Most people buy this laptop cooler because the fans are really quiet (win!) and are super effective in keeping your computer from overheating.
2. Laptop Bed Tray
This is another major finals week essential if you are studying from home. There will be moments during finals week when you’ll be too tired or too lazy to sit at your desk but you still want to get a really good study sesh on your bed or the couch. This laptop bed tray is the PERFECT solution.
This laptop bed tray is wide enough to hold your laptop and notebooks, has a book holder, is SUPER sturdy, and height-adjustable so you can work comfortably no matter how tall or short you are.
3. Earplugs
I don’t know about you but hearing pages turning and pens/pencils scribbling during a final gives me MAJOR anxiety and is extremely distracting.
I have thoughts like, “Wait! She’s on page 2?? I’m still on page 1! Am I taking too long?? Am I gonna run out of time??”
I’m sorry but getting lost in those thoughts can hurt you on the exam. You need to be 100% focused with ZERO distraction so you can stay confident while your testing. As such, I highly recommend that you get these earplugs so nothing gets in your way of doing well on your finals. Right now, you can get this pack of 100 earplugs for only 6.99!
4. Study Snacks
Study Snacks are also a must during finals week.
They give you a boost of energy when your feeling drowsy, are a great filler in between meals, and can save you from A LOT of money in the long run because you won’t be tempted as much to make a bunch of crazy, spontaneous purchases when you’re feeling hangry.
Snacking on Dried Manjo is my personal favorite study snack and I’m a HUGE fan of THIS BRAND (!!!) because it’s both sweet and chewy like fruit roll-up but super good for you!
Want more study snack ideas?? Check out this post I wrote on the 7 best study snacks for college students.
5. Gum
If you’re in for a LONG exam and you’re worried about losing momentum as you test, then I highly recommend that you stalk up on gum.
Not only is gum a finals week essential but it is practically a food staple for test-taking since it is super effective in helping students focus and it’s virtually the only snack/food item teachers allow students to have during exams.
I love this gum the flavor lasts much longer than many other gums (which is a MUST for me).
6. Pens
Pens are another finals week essential because you’ll go through a LOT of ink creating flashcards, taking notes, etc. Plus, you don’t want to be that person begging someone for a pen right before a final exam. You’ll come off looking super under-prepared.
I LOVE writing with the Paper Mate Pen because they are super smooth to write with and don’t bleed too much ink.
7. Highlighters
If you have been using highlighters all semester, then it’s time to stalk up on some more highlighters, because I guarantee you’ll lose ink during finals week. It happened to me literally EVERY semester until I learned my lesson.
Any interruptions you can avoid during finals week, take it!
I personally love these highlighters because it provides a full set of colors I can use to color code my notes.
8. Lumbar Support Pillow (Back Support)
I don’t think I have to convince you of this but we are our bodies WORST enemies during finals week (lol). We sit down for long periods of time with the worst postures in not-so-friendly chairs. That’s why having something that supports your back is a finals week essential!
Give your back the support it needs by getting this Lumbar Support Pillow for your chair. I personally have one since I work at my desk for 9 hours straight most days and it is EVERYTHING!!
9. Seat Cushion
I don’t know about you but I’m a young person in an old woman’s body. I can’t sit down for more than an hour without feeling A LOT of pain in my legs and that’s a HUGE problem when studying for exams.
If you struggle with this too or want to prevent yourself from developing back and leg problems, then I highly recommend that you get this seat cushion.
It will keep your bum and legs relaxed, help you maintain good posture, and keep you from experiencing pain in your legs and hips.
10. Hoodie
Another major finals week essential is a GOOD hoodie. Wherever you’re studying, it is so easy to become cold and uncomfortable because you’re sitting for long periods with very little movement.
And when you’re not moving very much, your body doesn’t create the heat it normally does to keep you warm. That’s why hoodies are the go-to outfit for college students cuz it’s so necessary to surviving finals week.
I personally love this hoodie because it’s super soft, made out of fleece for super warmth, and goes well with TONS of outfits.
11. Extension Chord
If you don’t already have this, you need to get one ASAP!! Especially if you’re going to be studying in a library or a shared space. It’s super annoying having to plug out, plug-in, or worst, WAIT to use an outlet when you really need to charge your stuff.
This is the extension cord I have and I absolutely love it. It’s just as powerful as plugging my phone or computer into a wall outlet and gives me ZERO issues. Plus, I think it’s cool that it comes with 4 USB outlets!
12. Flashcards
I literally could NOT survive finals week WITHOUT flashcards and you shouldn’t try to. Flashcards are a MAJOR finals week essential because it’s literally one of the fastest (if not the fastest) ways to memorize information/prepare for an exam.
If you want some more reasons why flashcards are a literal must (!!!), check out this article and this article. If you take one thing from this article, get FLASHCARDS!!
I can easily go through a pack of 100 cards in a day so I highly recommend that you get these. You’ll get 10 packs of 100 cards (a total of 1000 flashcards), which will be more than enough to carry you through finals week or whatever your studying for.
13. Water bottle
I don’t know why but studying for exams tends to make me extremely thirsty and have found it to be a huge money and time saver. Instead of going through a dozen cups or buying a bunch of water bottles, I can just refill my water bottle.
I highly recommend the S’well bottle because it’ll keep your water cool for 48 hours.
RELATED POST: 14 Genius Hacks To Help You Focus On Studying
14. Sticky Notes
Got an open book exam??? Then get you some sticky notes. They will make taking your test A LOT easier during finals when you need to find an answer real quick! They also make incredible placeholders when you’re studying in multiple places of your textbook or notebook.
15. Book Holder
Book Holders are another finals week essential. Like most college students, during finals week, you’ll have multiple things open: your notebook, your textbook, your supplement book..its a lot! You won’t have the hands to hold everything open so consider getting this book holder so you can be more hands-free.
16. Thumb drive
If you have to print out a bunch of stuff for your finals and will be relying on Staples, FedEx, or another printing services, you’ll need a good thumb drive.
17. Headphones
If you’re like me and need music to study, then I highly recommend that you get these headphones because you’ll be listening to A LOT of music to survive finals week. They are super affordable and they get the job done.
18. Do Not Disturb Sign
If you’re taking your finals from home and it’s timed, this is a MAJOR finals week essential!!! You don’t want your mom or your roommate walking in while you’re taking a timed test and these signs will send them a CLEAR message that you are unavailable.
*This post is about 18 items you need to survive finals week*
Read Next:
14 Genius Hacks To Help You Focus On Studying
14 Amazing Breakfast Ideas That Won’t Make You Drowsy
7 Last-Minute Study Hacks That Actually Works
Learn more about Jessica, you’re go-to-girlfriend for college advice. Feel free to email her if you have a question or just want to say hello.
