How To: Rationalize Not Studying For Your Final

As Boston finally embraces the concept of spring, with days over 60 degrees and sun flooding the Yard, Harvard students are forced to face a reality harsher than winter: finals season. After enduring months of cold, dreary weather, it feels criminal to hole up in Lamont to study for a silly little exam, missing out on all that spring in Boston has to offer. So, do you really need to study for that final? After all, the content on the exam is intuitive…right?

If it’s worth 10 percent of your final grade…

Final exam? More like a weekly quiz! All you need to do is skim your notes for a solid five minutes the morning of the exam, and you’re good to go.

If it’s worth 20 percent of your final grade…

Sure, 20 percent may feel like a significant chunk of your final grade, but, if you think about it, you’ve already put in all the hard work this semester to succeed. Surely, one exam, especially one worth only a fifth of your final grade, cannot make or break you.

If it’s worth 50 percent of your final grade…

Let’s be real, stressing over a final exam worth 50 percent of your grade is bound to drain every ounce of mental energy you possess. Chances are, your time is better spent taking a stroll by the river or connecting with as many Harvard grads on LinkedIn as humanly possible. Priorities, people!

If it’s worth 100 percent of your final grade…

So…maybe you should study for this final. Just kidding! There are really only two options here: your professor is either the most relaxed person you’ll ever meet, or the craziest. Either way, in this case, it’s important to remember that life is all about balance. This final may feel like it’s the be-all and end-all, but it’s really just another stepping stone to your future. You’ll crush it! (And if you don’t, just remember that it’s all your professor’s fault).

If these tactics fail, and your compulsive Harvard tendencies to study override your system, never fear. In just a few short weeks, finals will be a thing of the distant past, only to recur in a few short months!