By Kristina Kopplin/reporter

With finals coming up at the beginning of next month, many students like freshman Colby Amato are already feeling the pressures of bringing in a few extra points to raise their grades.

“I’m super nervous about finals,” she said. “It’s my first year in college, so I don’t really know what to expect.”

Chris Carcerano, coordinator of the center for academic success on South Campus, shared some tips on how to start prepping for the upcoming weeks.

“Start breaking down projects into smaller daily tasks,” he said.

This will allow students to concentrate better and not be so rushed to get their final projects done, Carcerano said.

TCC freshman Shannon Gilliam has developed a strategy for studying that works for her.

“I study a couple hours a day in a calm, nondistracting environment,” she said. “And I just remind myself to do the best I can.”

Many teachers have assigned larger projects that account for a large percentage of the final grade for the end of the semester.

Carcerano said students should begin working toward the final project now.

“The analysis of the project will be more thorough and more of what the teachers are actually looking for,” he said.

Also, learning the language helps tremendously with understanding a subject.

“If your exams will be comprehensive, understanding the vocabulary will help you” grasp what the overall subject really is about, he said.

Students battling a lack of rest is the most common problem Carcerano sees. He said students get so worked up studying all week they don’t give themselves enough time to actually relax and take a break.

Another common problem Carcerano sees students struggle with is procrastination.

“Students wait until the end to cram, and then the information isn’t moved into your long-term memory,” he said.

Students’ minds don’t fully absorb the information. Therefore, they can’t store as much information in their short-term memory, Carcerano said.

Carcerano said an important reminder is that the tutoring provided by the center is not available during finals week.

“Our tutors go into overdrive” the weeks before finals because students are trying to take advantage of this service before it isn’t available anymore.