Skip to Main Content
Boston University
  • Bostonia
  • BU Today
  • The Brink
  • University Publications

    • Bostonia
    • BU Today
    • The Brink
  • School & College Publications

    • The Record
Other Publications
BU Today
  • Sections
News, Opinion, Community

How Not to Study: Students Confess

Tips and techniques for getting over the finals hump

It’s finals time at Boston University. Sleep-deprived undergrads prowl Commonwealth Avenue for late-night snacks. Dorm rooms have never been cleaner; facebook.com has never been more scoured. Computer cursors are blinking and books and highlighters are assembled and waiting — and waiting. It’s almost Newtonian in its logic: the more we have to study, the more we want to put it off. And while everybody procrastinates, there’s nothing like the intense pressures of academia to raise time-wasting to a high art.

On a recent evening, BU Today ventured across campus — from the George Sherman Union to the basement of the College of Communication — to see how students grapple with impending exams and final projects. With the notable nose-to-the-grindstone exception of engineering students, most were more than happy to look up from their laptops for a moment and tell us how, at this time of year, time becomes a flexible, amorphous thing, capable of being diverted to bathtub clothes washing, random Web searches, and staring contests with goldfish. Many students had already pulled all-nighters, and as the night wore on, a few appeared to be headed that way again. As one senior described his last few days, “I’ve seen the sunrise more than I’d like to.” 

 

 

Explore Related Topics:

  • Students
  • Study Tips
  • Share this story

Share

How Not to Study: Students Confess

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Latest from BU Today

  • Watch Now

    BU’s Class of 2025: What Are Your Plans After Graduating?

  • Fitness

    BU Sports Rehab Therapists on Jayson Tatum’s Achilles Injury and Recovery Ahead

  • Commencement 2025

    Sights and Sounds from Boston University’s Class of 2025 Commencement

  • Commencement 2025

    Video: 2025 Graduate Jayde Best: “I Ended Up Exactly Where I Wanted to Be”

  • Commencement 2025

    “Empathy Is Essential,” BU Commencement Speaker Emily Deschanel Tells 2025 Graduates

  • Voices & Opinion

    I’m a Business Professor Who Asked Dozens of Former Students How They Define Success

  • Commencement 2025

    Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Convocations a Joyous Affair

  • COMMENCEMENT 2025

    BU Commencement Student Speaker: Say “Yes” to New Opportunities

  • Athletics

    Women’s Rowing Aiming for Second Consecutive Patriot League Title

  • Infectious Diseases

    Tick-Borne Diseases Risk Increasing Due to Climate Change: What You Need to Know

  • COMMENCEMENT 2025

    This Mother and Daughter Are Both Graduating from Boston University

  • Accolades

    Wheelock’s Tina Durand Wins 2025 Metcalf Cup and Prize, BU’s Highest Teaching Honor

  • Commencement 2025

    Three Standout BU Graduating Master’s Students Share What Drives Them

  • Local

    The Weekender: May 15 to 18

  • Commencement

    Looking for a Place to Take Grad Photos? These Spots Are Perfect

  • Accolades

    COM’s Michelle Sullivan Named 2025 Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching Winner

  • Fine Arts

    How I Made This: Raquel Philippe (CFA’26)

  • Student Life

    Conning an Aircraft Carrier. A Storm-Drenched Training Exercise. Graduating ROTC Students Reflect on Last Four Years

  • Commencement 2025

    The Ultimate Senior Bucket List

  • Commencement 2025

    Advice to the Class of 2025: “Make Your Existence Meaningful”

Section navigation

  • Sections
  • Must Reads
  • Videos
  • Series
  • Close-ups
  • Archives
  • About + Contact
Get Our Email

Explore Our Publications

Bostonia

Boston University’s Alumni Magazine

BU Today

News, Opinion, Community

The Brink

Pioneering Research from Boston University

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Weibo
  • TikTok
© Boston University. All rights reserved. www.bu.edu
© 2025 Trustees of Boston UniversityPrivacy StatementAccessibility
Boston University
Notice of Non-Discrimination: Boston University prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex or gender, age, national origin, ethnicity, shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, military service, marital, parental, veteran status, or any other legally protected status in any and all educational programs or activities operated by Boston University. Retaliation is also prohibited. Please refer questions or concerns about Title IX, discrimination based on any other status protected by law or BU policy, or retaliation to Boston University’s Executive Director of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator, at titleix@bu.edu or (617) 358-1796. Read Boston University’s full Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Search
Boston University Masterplate
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
How Not to Study: Students Confess
0
share this