It’s that time of the semester again…finals week is slowly approaching, leaving many students in a state of stress. Often times, students, especially freshmen who are about to experience their first set of college finals, feel that studying for such a wide range of subjects seems almost impossible. Although some refer to finals week as “stress week,” this does not always have to be the case. With the right approach, preparing for finals may not prove to be as stressful as many students like to make them seem.
One of the most necessary steps in ensuring that one does not stress out when studying for their exams is to make an organized schedule as a way to divide how much time they want to allot to each subject. Without a proper organized schedule to help them understand specifically what will be covered on the exam, they will become entirely overwhelmed by the mass volume of papers and chapters that each of their classes entail. A recent article from the Health Education Services at Georgetown University suggests using calendars, notepads, and bulletin boards to keep everything organized. Also, making sure that one’s study environment is neat and organized is also recommended in order to create a less stressful, cluttered atmosphere.
Experts from Health Education Services also insist that students take a break every once in a while, in order to give their brains a rest. Taking a walk, talking to a friend, calling someone from home, getting something to eat, or anything else that will get their mind off of studying for a short period will keep them calm and focused.
Another suggestion would be to sit quietly and meditate in between studying. Deborah Schoeberlein, author of “Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness” explains that when people have too many mental tasks to focus on, it decreases the brains rate that it can process information, which leads to frustration and the dreaded six letter word… stress. This is what often happens when students study for their finals, so in order to avoid this, set aside 10 minutes in between studying to focus on breathing and to keep a calm state of mind.
Remember to keep these tips in mind when studying for finals next week because those who do will be more likely to come out mentally focused and prepared for their exams.
Eryn Aiello is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at EA694104@wcupa.edu.