Creative strategies fuel Finals Week motivation
December 5, 2025 The Parthenon
As the semester winds down, students across campus are feeling the familiar crunch of looming deadlines and rapidly approaching finals. Papers, projects and hours of lecture material begin to collide all at once, leaving many searching for ways to stay focused and retain information before exam day. While some rely on tried-and-true study habits, others are getting inventive as they navigate one of the most demanding stretches of the academic year.
Sophomore Mohammed Hamo said he’s turned to strategies he discovered on TikTok to help him push through long study sessions.
“I have a lot of stuff to memorize in the weeks leading up to finals, and I started buying candy that I liked and allowing myself to have one piece for every section I read,” Hamo said.
It may not be the healthiest routine, he admits, but for now, it’s keeping him motivated.
“I’ve been having Sour Patch Kids recently, and I know I should probably switch to something better for you,” he said. “Anything to get through finals week, though.”
While Hamo uses snacks as a reward system, other students take a more traditional route by organizing notes, color-coding materials and relying on digital tools to break down large amounts of content.
Senior Brock Bearhs said apps like Quizlet and Notebook LM have become essential to his study routine, especially as he prepares for his accounting exams.
“I like that these apps have started to use AI more, so that I don’t have to spend a bunch of time wasted loading information to study,” Bearhs said. “Notebook LM is cool because they can make realistic podcasts that sound like real people, which makes it easy for me to learn.”
A long-time Quizlet user, Bearhs appreciates the convenience and flexibility digital flashcards offer.
“Sometimes, if you get lucky, someone has already loaded material from the same textbook you use, so you can just use their flashcards,” he said. “It’s really useful. I’ve been using it since high school. It’s like the ‘OG’ of studying apps.”
Whether students are fueled by sweets, digital tools or simply determination, one thing is clear: they are becoming increasingly resourceful in how they prepare for their toughest exams. As finals week approaches, students are finding what works best for them in hopes of finishing the semester strong.
Marshall University’s finals week runs Dec. 8–12. Students can find additional information at www.marshall.edu/academic-calendar.
Abby Ayes can be contacted at ayes@marshall.edu.
