It is the dreaded finals season. A time where you gear up, power through long, heavy study sessions, and hope it will be over soon in order to enjoy a much needed restful break. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel; this is when motivation and perseverance is key to successfully end the semester. If you feel stressed during finals week, know that you are not alone; thousands of students are feeling the same way. Know that the difference between overload and walking away without being completely mentally drained is your mindset.
Going into college, we all expect to deal with the academic rigor and to be challenged. Yet, for many students, finals week might arrive far too quickly and you find yourself having to finish a massive workload. For some, this may consist of a combination of essays and exams, or all of the former or the latter. This semester, my finals included both. I find that having good time management is extremely helpful in remaining productive and pacing myself to prevent burnout. I do my best to set aside time for each class where I hold myself responsible for studying a given amount of notes, or complete a particular page target length for an essay. By categorizing my time, I find that it makes it easier to tackle my assignments in a way that it does not become too stressful for me. It is also important that you do not place too much pressure on yourself. You must be gentle yet firm with yourself. Understand when you have put hours into studying and when you require a break, but remain attentive to minimize the temptation to procrastinate. This mindset extends to the completion of each of your final exams as well. Go into the exam knowing that you will put all your effort into it and walk away knowing that you have done your best. Often, you can be your own enemy and overthink how you did on an exam, but understanding that you tried your best will help you focus on the work you have to do later in the week.
In my finals experience thus far, I find that the campus environment can be another factor to the facilitation of finals week. Look at any events that your campus might be hosting to stimulate and motivate its students. These events can vary from calming, puppy interactions to study breaks. My campus held numerous study breaks from pancake study break events held by residence halls to hot chocolate and donut relaxation sessions in the main library. Beyond the events that are available to attend, you might find it beneficial to talk to fellow students on campus and check in on how they are handling the week. It might help to discuss how you are feeling and is a great way to remember that you are not alone in this.
Good luck with finals and have a wonderful break!