How to handle end of semester final exam stress

Stress-Free Success: Finals worth half a class grade. Thesis papers. How to do you make it through the end of the semester sanely when so much is on the line?

When it comes time to study for final exams and to finish writing term papers, there is one thing that separates the frazzled students bouncing around the library from the relaxed students who seem to take all the stress in stride: the happy students just don’t care — too much.

Go ahead and ask one of those calm, cool and collected students why they aren’t stressed over finals and they’ll probably tell you that they have bigger things on their minds.

Some successful students say a degree of nonchalance is actually the key to finishing the semester on a high note and being able to head home for the holidays with fond feelings for their “other” homes.

But don’t get too excited — nonchalance doesn’t mean non-studying.

Carefree students clearly care enough about school that they are able to get to finals period, but they’ve gotten a grip on the end-of-the-semester stress syndrome by knowing how to put the daunting tasks that lie ahead in the next few weeks into perspective.

“In 100 years, who’s gonna care?” wondered Spelman College senior Ria Burlew.

Burlew takes a pragmatic approach to studying: “If I don’t know it by now, I’m not going to learn it in the time I have left,” she said.

The key to effective studying in a short amount of time is prioritizing.

Burlew’s advice comes in handy as you decide which subject(s) you should spend the most time studying.

Avoid Procrastinating

“Two recent studies found that students who procrastinate reported lower stress levels and fewer illnesses as semesters began. But when papers came due and exams were scheduled toward the end of the semester, procrastinators reported higher stress levels and more illnesses — indeed, they were physically sicker overall than students who didn’t procrastinate,” Mike Berg writes.

For example, if you haven’t done any reading for your colonial literature class, you probably won’t get much out of trying to cram the whole semester’s worth of material into your brain in a week. And you’ll risk lower grades in other classes because you didn’t use your limited time to study for them. So cut your losses and do the best you can in a course you’ve ignored, while focusing your quality studying on the subjects in which you think you can do well.

Another way to prioritize your schoolwork is to ask yourself some questions: Which final comes first? Which paper is the longest/most challenging/first due? For which subject do I need the most study time? Which professor grades the hardest? Which tests/assignments will make the most difference to my final grades?

“If I know I have a borderline grade in a class, I would probably study more for that class than one I already have an A in,” Morehouse College senior Torrance Hampton said. He added that he considers the time of day of his finals so he can plan short “refresher” study sessions for right before the tests begin.

Once you know how you plan to manage your time, you’ve won a large part of the battle against your exams.

Survival Techniques

But another insidious danger lurks: procrastination. This is not the time of year to spend a night answering all of your e-mail, shooting hoops with the junior varsity basketball team, or playing Minesweeper and Solitaire until your hand cramps up.

Avoid temptation. Delete the e-mail messages, deflate your basketball, and remove those tantalizing computer-game icons from your desktop. You’ll be less stressed and unhappy if you’re not reminded of all the fun things you’d rather be doing.

But don’t sacrifice your sanity by studying around the clock.

Give yourself a break — perhaps in the form of a series of scheduled and timed rest periods that involve none of your regular procrastination rituals. Get some exercise, drink some coffee, take a nap, condition your hair. Don’t get so wrapped up in your work that you don’t take care of yourself.

Your friends will see you and marvel. In envious murmurs, they’ll say, “Wow, I can’t believe (s)he’s so nonchalant.”

It’s finals time again, with exams and papers on the top of everyone’s to-do lists. Give us your tips for surviving one of the toughest times of the year.

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