Freaked Out Over Finals? Don’t Be!

As the fall semester comes to a close, students are stressing about finals. It is common for students to stay up until the wee morning hours, contemplating what could be on a final and pouring over everything they learned during the semester. However, it is not healthy to stress. Students tend not to eat healthy and stay in their dorms alone and focused on their studies.

During the week of finals, students go on Sheetz runs for energy drinks and junk food for an energy boost. It gets them out of their room for a time, but energy drinks and junk food are not healthy. Students need to eat healthy meals to give their brain the energy it needs. It may seem hard to find time to eat a balanced meal with rushing around studying, but it is essential to eat healthy.

Sleep is an important factor in keeping stress and anxiety away. Sleep is the brain’s way of recovering from extensive activities and preparing for the next day. A college student needs eight hours, if not more, of sleep. Students during finals week may only get five hours of sleep at night, depending on how late they stay up to study. Some students stay up late to cram as much information as possible before a final. Without the proper amount of sleep, the brain does not process information correctly.

Lastly, students need to take the time to step away from studying. Being in a dorm room, studying for long lengths of time can cause stress. Instead of studying for hours on end, students should study for an hour or two, take a break to reward themselves and go back to studying later. The brain cannot keep attention on one thing for an extended amount of time. After studying, students should schedule time to go out with friends, take a walk or catch up on television shows. When a student is having fun and not thinking of finals, the brain may subconsciously work to retain information.

Stress affects all students in a number of different ways.

Netha Kane ’17 says, “When I am stressed out over finals I generally go hiking. The activity takes my mind off of the stress and often times ideas for a paper bubble up from my subconscious while my mind and body are joined in the physical activity.”

Hong Nguyen ’18 says, “For me, finals can be the worst time during the year. For an international like me, being away from home during this time is also difficult. I often feel homesick during finals week. To keep stress away, I often deal with it by keeping busy. I contact my parents or friends more often to make it seem like they are here with me.”

Students need to remember the most important thing: do not stress. Finals come at the end of every semester. Keep calm and begin to study now instead of waiting until the last minute. Take deep breaths and give motivational speeches to yourself to improve your mood. Finals do not have to be a stressful time. Do your best then move on to the next thing in life.