By the time final exam week comes around, students are fueled by caffeine, adrenaline, and dread. Between expectations from parents and the pressure students already put on themselves, finals can be one of the most stressful times of the year.
Many know the basic rules for doing well and reducing stress during finals: eat well, sleep a lot, and don’t cram. However, there are many other ways to minimize stress that are more helpful than you may realize. Part of finding the perfect antidote involves identifying the root cause of your anxiety. There are various causes of this stress, but some common ones include: students think they don’t remember anything (which they do), they feel guilty if they take a break, and they experience burnout.
Take Advantage of Personal Learning Time (PLT)
By the time finals roll around, students are wearing puffer coats but are still forced to remember content from Unit 1 in their math class. Since final exams are usually cumulative, students worry that they have forgotten a lot.
Even though there is time to review in class, that is often just not enough; this is where PLT comes in. Every year, for the weeks leading up to finals, the school offers students the opportunity to attend additional PLT sessions. This benefits all students, but especially those who are in early bird classes; it is the only time they actually get to meet with their other teachers, since early bird overlaps with the typical PLT schedule. Generally, PLTs tend to be pretty crammed right before finals, and it is not guaranteed that a teacher will be able to answer all the questions students may have.
In my personal experience, I get anxious when I have a lot of questions and realize that other students in my PLT have the same issue because I worry that my teacher won’t have time to answer all my questions. However, having an extra day takes away some of that worry and gives students a chance to seek help if additional questions arise while they are going through their review materials. Overall, taking advantage of PLT can ease your testing nerves and prepare you for the big day.
Study in a Lively Environment
Sitting alone in a room with a pile of review packets and a bag full of books can cause students to lose perspective, put pressure on themselves to study more intensely, and feel guilty about taking breaks. If you are studying by yourself at home and decide to take a 20-minute break, that voice in the back of your mind might creep in and tell you that everyone else is managing to persevere. However, that little voice making you feel guilty is playing on your anxiety and warping reality. One way to bring you back down to reality is by being in an environment where there are a lot of other students who are inevitably taking breaks. My favorite place for this is the Lake Forest Library.
When I am around a lot of others who are also studying, I feel more motivated, and I have a way to socialize when I need a break. To me, this setting functions as a reality check and helps remind me what a realistic studying process looks like.
The library has formally embraced this form of balanced studying. For the past few years, they have provided the popular “Exam Escape,” which provides the supplies, drinks, snacks, and dinner for the students. The packed library helps students feel a sense of community and feel as if they are not alone in their struggle through finals. The food options also encourage breaks and give students a chance to socialize. When I am on my fourth hour of math review, a Poppi, Snickers, and a free dinner definitely help make the situation more tolerable.
Another way toprevent feeling guilty about not constantly studying is by understanding that taking breaks is okay and is, in fact, crucial for academic success. Studies have shown that taking breaks can actually make studying more effective. Even though I know this fact in theory, I find it difficult to put into practice. I worry that I need to maximize every minute I have or else I won’t have time to review. However, being in an environment where breaks are normalized helps me build more sustainable study habits.
Pace Yourself to Avoid Burnout
Students can sit and study for hours without picking up their phones or speaking with friends, but still feel completely unproductive and sluggish. While taking informal breaks helps to lessen stress associated with over-studying, a more formalized method, known as the Pomodoro Method, has proven to be especially beneficial when it comes to promoting productivity and preventing burnout. The Pomodoro Method breaks study time into intervals where you work for 25 minutes straight and then take a five-minute break. Taking scheduled breaks results in improved mood and focus because it feels like the breaks are earned. Last year in my AP Seminar class, my teacher Mrs. Kyrias had us use this method when working on our research papers and for me this proved to be quite effective. I was able to focus more intensely when I knew there was a breakto look forward to in the near future. When it comes to finals, it’s definitely worthwhile to give this method a shot.
Before you become too overwhelmed with the piles of review packets, or trapped in a cycle of over-studying, be sure to consider some of these methods. Seek out your teacher for PLT, test out the Pomodoro Method, and take advantage of the library. It’s amazing what clarification on a concept, focused studying, and a quick chat over a slice of free pizza can do for you when you’re feeling overwhelmed with finals.
