Janine Shuman
campus editor
As the semester’s finish line nears, final exams replace students’ excitement with stress, causing them to rely on various coping mechanisms to get through the challenging week.
“I personally do not handle stress well in general, and the stress of finals week can sometimes be overwhelming to me,” NE student Rebecca Morris said. “To combat this, I surround myself with caring and supportive people,”.
SE student Andrew Mwenduti recommends listening to music, spending time with family and friends, doing breathing exercises and spending time outdoors to relieve stress.
“Usually, when it comes to finals, my strategy is to review what I’ve learned over the course of the semester and also use the final exam review provided by the lecturer,” Mwenduti said. “It’s a bit hard to cram everything you’ve learned in the semester. Without a review guide, it’s hard to study because you don’t know what you’re studying for”.
TR student Wendell Robinson prepares for his exams by going to sleep early, studying for at least three hours a day, taking walks and long drives to clear his mind of worries.
“My strategies for studying is that I focus on the subjects that I struggle the most so I put my time and energy into them by making one day dedicated to each subject so I’m not trying to cram in one day,” Robinson said. “My coping method is to not overthink because once you start to think too much you doubt yourself and make mistakes.”
Repetition is the key to success TR student Katie Moore said. Using flashcards and repeatedly practicing material help her succeed.
“On a more embarrassing note, another way I study is I will pretend I’m teaching a class and I’ll speak the main ideas to my pets to see how much I really have retained and comprehended,” Moore said. “I also handle the stress of finals by doing at least one thing to de-stress every day”.
Aside from the hardships endured this semester, getting through a whole year of online learning is an accomplishment to be proud of, Mwenduti said.
“I just want to encourage others that they can definitely succeed in their finals,” he said. “Going through a year of online college was pretty stressful so making it this far is an achievement in itself.”
