Coping with stress as the end of the semester comes

This archived article was written by: Alexis Hill

It’s the final bump in the road as the semester comes to an end. Finals are approaching, and students try to manage their anxiety and stress. For many students, their daily routine is interrupted, and their body tries to adjust to the little amount of sleep they are getting, the small amount of food they eat and how much information they try to cram into their heads.
“The stresses I have about finals are just failing overall. All the hard work that you put in to make sure your assignments are turned in on time and that you know the material could easily be shot down by one final exam,” Kaitlyn Sisler said.
Although many students dread when the time comes to pull out their pencils and begin the exam, there is always a better way to deal with the pressure of testing. Learning how to properly prepare for a big assessment is half the battle.
Stress is personalized. For some people, dealing with stress could be going on a run and trying to clear their minds, whereas for others it could be listening to music for a short period of time or reading a book. However, there are a few tricks that work on almost anyone to help with testing and stress.
First, you want to make sure to get started as soon as possible. According to a study done by “Psychology Today,” Procrastination is higher in the last two weeks of school. Trying to cram a ton of information the week before an exam when you have five other exams you are also trying to study for is not going to be in your best interest. Make sure you are using your time wisely by organizing your lecture notes and reviewing them continuously until the information becomes comprehensive to you.
Next, try to keep your day-to-day schedule on track. Instead of staying up all night and day studying, try to eat on time for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don’t cut out your extra curricular activities unless absolutely necessary. Try to make sure to keep your brain awake and active by exercising.
Although relieving stress just thinking about exams is a small step, it is a start and will come a long way. Many students also struggle with anxiety. Having too much anxiety can be a weakness for students. Luckily, there are strategies that can help with that conflict as well.
“Usually before a test, I do breathing exercises which is meditation. It relaxes me and helps me feel confident about the test I’m going to take. It also helps me focus more,” Omar Suarez said.
Making sure you prepare will go a long way; Netflix is not a good substitution for studying. Being prepared will help reduce anxiety and help with confidence in yourself and the material you know. Take your time throughout the test; there is no rush. If it does happen to be a timed test, look to see how many questions need to be completed and how much time you have so you are able to space your time out evenly.