Finals Looming * Help!

ItsMeTime

I am a second year law student and it is finals time! From now until May 10th I will be spending 10-12 hours a day in the library preparing for my exams. For any of you who have been to law school, med school, nursing or pt school (no offense to master's programs, but from everyone I know in them the end of exam prep time is no where near the same) you know how that goes.

I find it really difficult to eat meals while studying like this. I either snack all day or don't eat until nearly midnight when I eat one huge meal. What I'd like to do this time is be ready to snack all day but still end up balanced with protein and nutrients and not too many carbs at the end of the day. I need snack ideas! I know nuts are good to keep on hand, and fruit also. But nuts and fruit alone probably will not keep me satisfied.

In the law building we have a fridge, freezer, and a microwave, thats it. Please give me snack ideas that are easy to put together, not too messy (as I will be eating in the library) and do not have a very strong odor. I would really appreciate the tips!

(But please spare me the "take time for yourself and eat 3 full meals in silence every day for 30 minutes a time blah blah" responses. I won't be doing that, i will be snacking while studying so help me do that

kacarter1017

raw veggies and hummus
string cheese
nuts
sandwiches
fruit
yogurt
instant oatmeal

hope these help!

ItsMeTime

definitely! thanks

maureenB7

On thing I have found that I love is EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control shakes! They are 110 calories, no sugar, and 17 grams protein. I drink for breakfast or late afternoon snack. They really keep you satisfied for hours. They are $4.75 a four pack at Target in the area with Diet products.

adjones5

I have the exact same finals problem. I get lost in my studies very easily and 15 hours can go by without me realizing I haven't eaten and then I'm STARVING and eat everything in site. I started setting alarms for every two hours and having snacks on hand to eat, I like carrots, cucumbers, nuts, pretzels, fruit, protein bars/shakes, half sandwiches, sometimes I just cook a skinless chicken breast and cut it into strips... chicken is probably my favorite one because its filling and keeps my alert to study. Hope this helps!!

helenium

I know where you're coming from! If I hadn't taken a year out from uni this year, I'd be doing Finals too, and I've already experienced the 12-14 hours a day in the library experience for exams in the past.

I'd go for something filling, so you don't snack that often. Not because you shouldn't snack at all - because it's SO easy to "have another snack" when you're really meant to be working your socks off. (I kept going for coffee breaks at the beginning. Ten a day...). I'm guessing you can't eat where there are books either, so you need things that will not take too much time, to allow you near your books etc. for as long as possible.

As a result, I'd recommend the following:

- Cottage cheese with an added flavour. I can't stomach plain cottage cheese, but add pineapple and I eat it as snacks. At most it's a calorie per gram, so you could eat a 150 g pot and not feel too bad about it. Keep it in the library fridge. Other people won't touch it.

- Cereal! I sometimes have cereal as a snack in its own right. Easy to prepare. Only thing I'd worry about is your milk getting used by other people. Possibly not suitable round books (*splash splash*)

- Hot baked beans. You have a microwave. A can of beans every day can be had in 2 - 3 portions, and you can keep the beans in the fridge in the meanwhile (covered). Filling and very proteinaceous.

I'm very much one for simple snacks and filling snacks that don't happen too often

perrytyra

When I go to the library for school, I normally just eat nuts while I am there, but if you are going to be there so long, I suppose you will need other things. Once out of desperation because I brought nothing with me, I got peanut m&ms out of the vending machine.

I have a tip that has nothing to do with food. I took a studying class just because I needed one more credit for the sememster and it was so helpful.

Besides the obvious attend all your classes, and get enough sleep, drink enough water, make sure you take a 5 minute break every 30 minutes. I know it seems wrong to take a break that often when you want to do hours of studying, but most people won't retain the information. You retain the first 15 minutes of studying and the last 15 minutes. While you take that 5 minute break, your brain is still working on the information, you just don't realize it. Take breaks more often if you need to, but study no more than 30 minutes at a time.

eternlgladiator

can you just cook up a whole bunch of chicken/turkey and portion it out to microwave and eat at the library? If you cook it all at once it'll be ready for you to grab out of the fridge in the morning and take with you, then you can put it in the fridge there and eat it when you need to. You can even cook up some brown rice and put that right in with the chicken. a minute or two in the microwave with some veggies and you've got a great little meal.

curvygirl512

Don't forget to take care of your sleep needs! When you are overtired, your body craves carbs. So, you'll either end up carb loading or be crabby, tired, and unable to concentrate. I've been on the other side of the desk at a major University for 20+ years--I've seen it too much.

That being said, kick *kitten* on your exams!