With classes ending and finals a mere three days away, most of us are stressed over the large amounts of work we have to complete in such a short amount of time. For me, it seems that my entire semester is compacted into these last two weeks. Since it is nearly impossible for me to study or attempt to write millions of papers, I have devised several tricks involving food to keep me more focused.
Although a lot of students become heavily dependent on caffeine during finals week to stay awake and motivated to study, I have thought of some alternative ways to getting through what I like to call \the week from hell.""
When it comes to studying, I am a huge procrastinator and will find things to do to avoid it at all costs. These ""things"" usually involve eating. It doesn't matter if I am hungry or not, eating is always a great way to prolong the inevitable and actually has some benefits.
Take right now, for instance. I wasn't really in the mood to start writing this column so I went to Qdoba for inspiration and to get those creative juices flowing.
Now, with burrito in hand, let me tell you just how to make this upcoming week a little more bearable.
First, here is a little trick I picked up from my roommate, Kristen. When she has a lot of reading to do for a class, she likes to place M&M candies on every other page in her book. That way, she is motivated to finish reading and is rewarded along the way.
However, when I tried it, I tended to rationalize eating the candies before I actually got to the next page, so don't do that. It is counterproductive.
Another great way to enhance your study time is to order pizza from whichever pizza joint you prefer in Madison, but make sure you do so with at least one other friend. That way, you can spend a little time socializing, which will make you feel more energized when you go back to hitting the books. Also, having another person there will prevent you from consuming the entire pizza.
If you are one of those kids that gets most of your studying done at Helen C. White, although I do not understand how this is at all possible considering it's a zoo, then take advantage of the vending machines on the first floor. Don't be shy and get the pretzels or animal crackers because they are the healthiest options. Those machines are there for a reason.
Indulge and be merry. Go for that Reese's that is staring you down. In fact, get that plus some Grandma's chocolate chip cookies, or oatmeal raisin if you are starting to feel a tad guilty.
Granted, these foods are not the healthiest options and people always say to avoid sugar for the spouts of energy it produces. Blah, blah, blah. You know what I say? Throw that philosophy out the window for the time being. If your sugar high eventually dies, scarf down a few more candy bars. That should do the trick.
Like I said before, there is nothing worse than all the work that piles up at the end of the semester. Make the best of this time and get your eat on.
If you can't be at a party because of finals, the least you can do is have a party in your mouth. That's close enough, right?
Kat will be back next fall with more timely food advice. Between exams, if you can't find her at Qdoba, e-mail her at krpeterson@wisc.edu.
