Finals are coming. Yes, the dread and anxiety are real. It’s a time when coffee consumption gets to dangerous levels, and those all-nighters you hoped you’d never have to go through become as real as the horror stories made them out to be. It’s tough. It’s stressful. And on top of it, you have to say goodbye to your friends who are either going abroad or graduating while at the same time moving your stuff out of the apartment for fear of fines. How in the world do people think we can do all of this at the same time?
I guess it’s the nature of college and as a senior who’s going through her last semester, I might be able to offer you some words of comfort.
- Those papers, projects, and exams are not going to stop you from breathing, so no matter how hard it gets, you can be sure that you’ll come out alive. You probably won’t be well, but at least alive.
- When in doubt, remember that we as a student body, are in this together and you never have to be alone in this stress. We’re all swamped, and though everyone has different levels of stress, you can bet that most of us have been through mental breakdowns before.
- Don’t compare yourself to others and you do you, boo. Sometimes the comparisons are all it takes to break us down because we think we’ll be judged if we don’t do better than so and so. However, we have to remember that you are your worst critic. This brings me to my next point.
- Do things at your own pace. If it takes you a bit longer to understand something, then that’s fine. Adjust. Study earlier if you know this. You know yourself better than anyone so do what you know works and don’t worry if you’re being passed over.
- C students get degrees. People think that this is a joke but they do have a point. Most of the most successful people in the world weren’t exactly the best in school, but they had extraordinary talents in other areas that made them billionaires.
- Remember that in the end, school and grades will not determine your working potential. It’s actually more work experience than anything. If you’re a good worker, you’ll earn those promotions faster than the worker who got straight A’s in college but is too afraid to take risks or go outside the box because they’re afraid of failure.
Finals can be downright agonizing, but we got this. On behalf of our #hcpepperdine team, I’d like to wish you the best of luck these next two weeks.