Prep Tips to Prevent Finals Week Panic

student-1178024_1920 Image courtesy of Pixabay Happy Spring Break, WVU students! You’ve nearly made it through three months of lectures, papers, and presentations. Now you have an entire week to kick back and relax, catch up with your family and friends, or give back to your community. Feel good, rest up, and recharge your batteries so you can come back refreshed for April. You might not want to think about it (or you might not be able to stop thinking about it), but we’re about a month away from final exams. That might sound like no time at all, but it’s by no means a reason to panic. There are countless lists out there with advice about handling finals prep, but most of these lists can be boiled down to a few important tips. Relax This point can never be overstated -- especially since you’re on break! The stress of finals can be intense, making it impossible to focus or work. It can even drive students to take hasty or illegal actions, like the Harvard student who called in a fake bomb threat to get out of an exam. Finals are important, but they are not a reason to panic. Enjoy your Spring Break, but make a point to set time aside for relaxation once you come back. This is much easier to do if you start studying well in advance of your exams and set aside time specifically for fun and relaxation. All too often, students wait until the last minute and cram all of their studying into a few panic-driven sessions. This approach is both ineffective and unhealthy. Instead, study over days and weeks with plenty of time for breaks and decompression. Don’t Go It Alone When wrapped up in finals stress, it can be easy to forget your classmates are likely feeling the same stress as you. It’s possible they gleaned some insight from the course material that you hadn’t considered, or have notes from a session you missed -- or you might have this information for someone else. Consider forming a study group, or, if you prefer to study alone, consider asking around about any topics you don’t quite grasp. Know Your Resources Knowing who can help you study and when you can let your hair down are important, but do you know all the resources available to help you prepare for finals? Your notes and textbooks will serve you well, but there’s always more available to you. WVU’s library has study rooms and additional research resources to help you get the knowledge and quiet you need to succeed. Trust us, the librarians will be your new best friends. In addition to classmates and the library, consider having a chat with your professor or TA. After all, they’re the people teaching this information and the ones making the tests. Your professors would be happy to help you succeed -- especially if you have earnest questions that can be answered by more than “It’s in the syllabus.” Their insights might prevent you from studying irrelevant material, which will help you stick to your study schedule. Relax Seriously, this can’t be said enough. Take a deep breath, pace yourself, and you’ll be golden when it comes time to take your exams. And don’t forget, we have a conference room right downstairs at Pierpont Place that you can reserve for studying!