The first time a student experiences finals a full week of preparing for and being tested over everything they have been taught during the past five months it can be overwhelming.
Oftentimes freshmen do not know what to expect going into finals week.
I knew it wasnt going to be easy, but I didnt realize it would be this intense, said Kacey Ortiz, sophomore chemistry major. I feel like I am so much more prepared this year than last year.
Many college students will attest to their freshman year of finals being the most stressful.
Freshman year is full of weed-out courses with really tough finals and a very limited amount of time to study, said Adrienne Meade, senior English major. After that, finals become more tailored to what your field of study is, so theyre easier. Plus, now I know what to expect and how to manage my time better.
Everyone has their own unique way of dealing with the inevitable stress imposed by finals week. Common stress-reducing techniques include taking short breaks during studying, spending time doing something purely for fun, exercising or making lists to stay organized. Each student, however, is unique in the way that they best cope with stress.
For every hour to two hours I spend studying, I spend about half an hour on Pinterest or YouTube, Meade said. Then Ill study for another few hours and take a power nap, then its back to studying for a couple of hours again. I also make multiple trips to Sonic for drinks during finals. This process works for me, because it keeps me from just putting studying off altogether.
Seth Donnell, senior environmental design major, said he jogs or wastes time when he is stressed. Most of the time, if Im stressed out Ill just end up wasting time. Once there is no extra time anymore, [studying] inevitably has to get done.
Donnell said hanging out with friends is a good stress reliever.
If I want to relieve stress, Ill go hang out with people, Donnell said. But I cant study with people. That doesnt work for me. Many students have to prioritize their time by studying and then rewarding themselves with relaxation afterwards.
Jordan Pape, junior telecommunications and English double major said she enjoys listening to Christmas music to relieve finals-related stress,
One of my favorite things to do while studying for fall finals is listen to the Charlie Brown Christmas CD, Pape said. Its classical music without words, for the most part, so it doesnt distract me. Its therapeutic for me. I associate it with my grandpa and with Christmas.
During finals week, some students perceive these tests as make or break career events. Ortiz said he believes it is important to keep things in perspective when it comes to the importance of these tests.
I think the most important thing to remember is that, yeah finals are important, but in the end they are just tests, Ortiz said. Don’t get so stressed out to the point you’ll make yourself sick. In 10 years, you won’t even remember studying for them, so don’t let them get you too stressed out.
After being at A&M for 5 years, Donnell said students should remember to build relationships with people while at school and not get caught up in stresses caused by classes.
Besides managing your time well, build relationships while youre here, Donnell said. Invest in people. Its easy to get caught up in studying and tests. Before you know it, youre a fifth year senior, about to graduate, and may not have invested as much time in people as you wanted to.