By Austin Schmitt

Hot weather is creeping across UK’s campus and summer is right around the corner, yet a shadow still exists: Finals Week.

Final exams begin on Monday, and the days to study are dwindling.

Students need to start studying now in order to prepare themselves for the next week, said Karin Lewis, UK’s director of Academic Enhancement.

The most efficient way to start studying now is to divide the material into different sections and switch often to keep the brain fresh, Lewis said.

“Divide and conquer the material,” Lewis said in an e-mail to the Kernel. “Start with your least favorite or most challenging course each time you sit down to review, and review course materials in chunks. Switch between subjects or types of material each hour or half hour to prevent your brain from zoning out.”

Lewis said if a student is feeling unprepared the night before a final, the student needs to salvage what they can:

• Check the syllabus to make sure you know what to anticipate on the exam.
• Review material from a “big picture” perspective.
• Look over the topics in the syllabus as they correspond to reading assignments.
• Review your previous exams and make sure you start where you made mistakes, so you don’t make those mistakes again on the final.

Studying for exams can be stressful, and students use many different and unique ways to cope with the stresses.

Michael Bramer, a biotechnology freshman, said he likes to think of the reward when final exams are complete.

“I like to think of a happier place,” Bramer said. “I imagine happier places like summer or (the Kentucky) Derby.”

While one student likes to use mental images to relieve stress, another student turns to sports.

After pulling an all-nighter Monday night to finish a paper, Brian Salas, a materials engineering freshman, said he felt horrible and sleepy.

When in need of a break, though, Salas said he turns to a makeshift basketball game in his room.

“I like to play a basketball thing with my trash can and a toy basketball,” Salas said.

Getting sleep the night before a final exam is helpful because sleep deprivation impedes memory and slows brain function, Lewis said. She compared not getting sleep to an athlete the night before a big game.

“It would be ludicrous for athletes to stay awake all night running drills and plays over and over and forgo sleep, then expect to perform their best in the championship game the next day,” Lewis said. “The same goes for students.”