Opinion
Staying stress free throughout finals week
December 2, 2011
With the stress of final exams looming over our heads, so is the stress of final projects and papers for various classes. It all happened so fast. It barely feels like we’ve even started, and now here it is. Another year is almost halfway done. How do we do it? Year after year, we keep putting things off until the very end. I know I do. Although somehow, by some sort of miracle, we are able to get everything done.
I definitely believe that college students have turned into expert procrastinators. Our final papers, etc. may not be our best work of the year, although for some of us, this is when we shine. Using myself as a personal example, I pull the best stuff off under pressure. Many college students are pulling their hair out by the end of a semester. However, there are many ways to let loose up until the end of finals and save yourself from weeks of stress.
The biggest key in staying stress free is to delegate! Spread all of your assignments and such out so you are not overwhelming yourself with too many things at once. Over the years, this has helped me out greatly. Sometimes, when you have a lot of things due at once, it seems like you’ll never get through anything. Spreading everything out and setting aside time for certain projects will give you a break.
The next thing is to keep track of everything. If you don’t own a planner or calendar, get one! I’m sure many of us do already, but you can never have too many. Being able to write out what is due for what class and when it is due is a huge weight lifted off. If you aren’t sure about an assignment you can go right back to your planner. Once you have all of your final projects turned in, you’ll already feel better.
Now, when it comes to studying, the same guidelines apply. Set aside time to study. Although studying causes stress as well, you don’t have to go screaming into a pillow. Give yourself a couple hours each night to study for your finals. There is no need to overwhelm yourself with hours and hours of studying all at once because it will just stress you out even more. You can even use a planner here. You can write out what finals you have on what days and choose your study times, and subjects based on that schedule. See? It all works out.
Finally, you need to set time aside for yourself! Either be- fore you study or after you study...relax! Watch a movie with some friends, or even by yourself. Play video games, or just lie down and close your eyes. If you have been studying for an hour, relax for an hour, then study again. Everybody needs a good balance of study time and “me” time if they want to get through the end of the semester. With these few suggestions, hopefully everyone will be a little less stressed. The end of a semester won’t feel like it’s the end of the world.
Good luck, Falcons!
Samantha Harkness is a journalism major at UW-River Falls. She loves reading, writing and watching movies.