RRR week exists for a reason — UC Berkeley finals are really, really hard. But sometimes, a week isn’t enough. Sometimes, that week will fly by after you’ve slept through the first two days of it, taken a San Francisco trip to unwind on the third and caught up with old CalSo friends for the fourth and fifth. Only four weeks stand between now and RRR week, and here are some ideas as to how to utilize them as best as you can.

Week 1: Update your to-do list.

The last four weeks might seem like they’re not much, but your professors have packed them tight with homework, essays and midterms. Figure out your schedule for the next four weeks; make sure no exam sneaks up on you and that you’re prepared to finish those readings on time. Updating your calendar or your planner, or using any method that works for you, is a good idea to get yourself in the zone and ready to conquer these last few weeks of school.

Week 2: Scout out the perfect study locations.

Sometimes, variety creates challenges for us; when we are faced with so many choices, it can be hard to narrow our options. This is your time to finally figure out which of the many on-campus libraries and nearby cafes is the perfect study spot for you. Is a Main Stacks study room where you can concentrate best, or perhaps the hidden gem that is the Howison Philosophy Library near Barrows Hall? Maybe it’s Starbucks — maybe it’s Tea Press. Now is the time to decide, because once the next few weeks hit, most of these places will be packed. When choosing a location, consider the following: proximity to a bathroom, water fountain, power outlet and light source. Do not underestimate the importance of a nice, close bathroom.

Week 3: Office hours.

Remember those questions you had on that reading you did at 2 a.m. in February? Maybe there are lots of readings that fit that descriptor? We thought so. Talk to your GSI now, before it’s too late. In addition, this is a really good way to figure out how exactly to prepare for the final that will make your GSI — the grader — happiest with the results. Some want you to focus on just getting the method of that math problem done, while others want you to understand the implications of the reading. Talking to them is the only way to get these distinctions clear.

Week 4: Note compilation time.

Before the review sessions, study group meetings and long hours spent at the library hit during RRR week, you need to make sure you have everything you need. Missed a class due to sickness, other obligations or laziness? Get those notes now! It would really suck to be deep in the study zone and later finding out that you missed a monumentally important concept introduced in lecture. Go through what’s on the final and make sure none of that is missing from your Evernote notes or looseleaf papers.

Happy studying, everyone! Let the countdown to summer begin.

Image Sources: Jayel Aheram