With finals week around the corner, students can oftentimes feel the crushing pressure of achieving academic excellence in their exams weeks in advance.
Considering that many students have full class schedules, work part-time jobs and participate in other organizations or clubs, these feelings of extreme stress and mental exhaustion are rightfully justified.
In order to ensure that students are optimizing their time and energy appropriately during finals season, taking the necessary steps to prevent any added stress is key to attaining high marks.
Developing consistent time management skills can help in preventing last minute stress, since planning assignments and projects ahead of time can limit the chances of procrastination on important assignments.
Outlining daily schedules, dividing tasks throughout the week and planning the steps needed to complete a project well in advance are just some of the techniques recommended to manage your time appropriately.
Having a lack of motivation is a common factor that prevents students from completing their work ahead of time, but finding ways to make studying seem more enticing can help combat that obstacle.
Whether these efforts consist of including friends into your study sessions or finding the best study spot with the right ambiance, ensuring one’s finals preparation starts beforehand can make a significant academic difference.
Seeking academic help is an obvious recommendation, but many students don’t take advantage of the resources available to them on campus.
Reaching out to teacher’s assistants for individual help, going into a professor’s office hours to seek clarification, or accessing tutoring through The Learning Center‘s personalized academic resources are all ways to obtain further assistance.
Prioritizing mental health during these stressful times is also essential in making it through finals season. This is because constant overwhelming stress can hinder a student’s academic performance.
Methods that can help boost the mental well-being of students include taking advantage of the Counseling and Psychological Services program, as they provide professionals who specialize in counseling, referral services and crisis intervention.
Prioritizing a balanced lifestyle is also highly advised as it goes hand-in-hand with mental health. Finding time to see loved ones, taking periodical breaks to de-stress and partaking in relaxing hobbies are all great ways to combat high stress levels during finals week.
Another factor to consider when implementing a more balanced lifestyle is adopting better sleeping habits. This is especially important as sleep deprivation is commonly known for decreasing physical and mental health, affecting memory and decreasing one’s overall quality of life.
Although the end-of-semester slump that students often face can lead to poor procrastination skills, this upcoming finals season is the perfect opportunity to develop better academic habits resulting in a better mental and physical wellbeing.