De-stress During Finals Week With These Upperclassmen Tips!

Finals week is quickly approaching and that means stress is in the air itching away at every one of us. Noticeably, students become more irritable, the library takes on maximum capacity, and coffee shops total a grand investment – caffeine turning into a main priority. Late nights and all-nighters will ensue with final grades suddenly becoming a reality. Dramatically, it probably seems as though you’re falling into a dark abyss, drowning in notecards, textbooks, and every tidbit of information that stands potential to be covered. And there never seems to be enough time in the day. Let’s be honest, procrastination is just part of the deal. Even when it seems like you won’t make it out, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, which we all know as Christmas break. A time to indulge in the luxuries of being home, catching up with old friends, and letting yourself finally relax. If that isn’t enough to motivate you, just think about the chance to start over with a brand new semester approaching only three weeks later!

Freshman, Cassie Wagner is feeling the stress of finals weighing her down. The reason?  “I don’t know how finals are in college so it’s stressing me out. It’s all new to me so I don’t know what to expect”.

It’s undeniable to say this statement applies to majority of freshman feeling the tug and pull of those first semester college exams. It’s trying to grasp the enigma of what a college final is and expecting the unexpected because it’s all so new. It’s an attempt to figure out the best ways to prepare and take finals without the burdened amount of anxiety you’re probably already feeling. 

In regards to the worst mistake made in preparing for finals, senior, Whitney Boulter stated: “I had already “checked out” for the semester and just wanted to go home because that last final was on a Friday. I felt defeated because I hadn’t done well on the midterm and didn’t know how well I was going to do in the class, so I kind of gave up and didn’t study very much.”

Have no fear! With the advice of upperclassmen, who have been there and done that, check out these tips in preparing for finals.

1. The most blatant and obvious: STUDY! This one probably doesn’t even need to be stated but we’ll say it anyway. It’s so easy to get distracted by everything else without putting forth the effort. Making excuses and procrastinating until a later time will result in numerous all-nighters, which just accumulates to the stress. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, make sure to take breaks while studying so you’re not cramming in every piece of information all at once. This can be mentally exhausting, so give your brain a rest! Don’t prolong breaks however, especially if you’re not feeling comfortable with the subject matter. Make it a short one and then get back in the routine.

2. As comforting and secure as it is to study in your dorm, apartment, or house, it only provides a number of distractions for you to become encompassed by. It’s so easy to get sidetracked in your living space. You’re tired, and that bed of yours probably looks extremely enticing at the moment. Your favorite show is on, your roommate has a long story to tell you, and grabbing a snack every ten minutes seems like a great idea at the time. Refrain from the excellence you feel your living space can offer during the times you need to focus most. Instead, pack up everything you’ll need (a snack included) and make your way to the main library (some prefer the law library), Starbucks, a study lounge, or any place you know of that will hold your focus.

3. Figuring out what will actually be on the final can be just as taxing as actually taking it. As tedious as it may be, take advantage of all the practice exams or review sheets that are given to you. They’re extremely helpful in what will be covered on the exam, even if they do not contain every aspect of the exam. This supplies a general idea of what the final may be like and takes the weight off your shoulders of what to expect on the final.

4. Do not give up! Remember that light at the end of the tunnel? Christmas break? If you’re so focused on that and only that, you’ll completely disregard studying for exams more than you should because it’s the only thing occupying your mind. Instead of just wanting to get it over with, use Christmas break as your motivation to keep studying so you can do well on your exams. That way, when you go home, you’ll feel good about your accomplishments and won’t have the added stress of feeling like you didn’t put forth your best efforts. Even if that last exam is on a Friday and practically everyone you know has completed all of his or hers prior to, don’t ease up just yet. Keep studying and remember your motivation!

And finally… Study hard Spartans and GOOD LUCK!