It’s Finals Week, Not the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

1. Make a list of what you need to do for each class in the order in which the due dates will occur.

2. Review the syllabus for each class. When you reread this document, the rationale for how the course was constructed can become clearer and, in turn, you can begin to see the class you took as more than the sum of its parts. Doing this might even help you with your final exam in terms of how materials come together.

3. Make a commitment to care for yourself even during stressful times. Stress won’t be lessened on no sleep, bad food choices, no exercise, and too much Red Bull. Performance anxiety, junk food, and caffeine overload can really do a number on your stomach. Occasionally staying up late to finish a project can be OK, but too many nights of that in a row and you wind up feeling depleted, depressed, out of sorts, and almost broken in your body. As we’ve all become increasingly mindful of illnesses post-pandemic, it’s also the case that a lot of poor choices can leave our bodies even more vulnerable to illness.

4. Find study buddies. These may be people enrolled in class with you, and you can share notes, discuss materials, and quiz each other. You might also seek out study buddies who aren’t in your classes but are friends with whom you can easily, quietly, and respectfully share a space and study together to keep each other accountable and motivated.

5. Mix it up. Consider studying in a new place like a coffee shop. Another idea is to see if the classroom in which you take the class is open in the evenings, and you might consider studying there. Some research shows we perform better in the same space in which we learned the material. You can visualize more of how you were taught things.

6. Try to avoid catastrophizing. When people are stressed, they tend to worry about the worst possible thing that could happen. Perhaps you’re earning a B- or a C+ in a class and then submit a paper and worry you’ll now fail the class. Think about how to keep this situation in proportion and perspective.

7. Consider how and when you contact your professors.

8. Think about what you’re asking of your professors. What position this puts them in, and how you want to be remembered. And rather than email professors only about grades, talk with them about how you can improve for the future with other classes and as you move further along on your path.

9. Every semester has to end.

10. Visualize the finish line. Think about how good you’ll feel when you finish the semester. Envision what your body and mind will feel like when the term ends. How do you want to celebrate? Perhaps you want to plan an evening with friends, a day trip with someone special, or a hike in a beautiful place. It’s always good to have something to look forward to, to take stock of what we’ve accomplished, and to create rituals that mark the end of one semester's experience before transitioning to the next."

Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!

Reflection:

Are you having finals this week? How are you coping?

#Finals #College #Stress