Finals week sucks, but it doesn’t have to.
By disregarding the #finalsweek groupthink of stress, dread and life-or-death decisions you will create a peaceful space to complete the week with confidence and a clear head.
For those graduating this semester, the stress of finals week can be increased exponentially, due to the pressures that come with taking exams. A potential degree, on top of summer vacation, is at the finish line of this semester.
Bussinessweek.com columnist Francesca Di Meglio wrote in 2012 that an American College Counseling study in 2012 found that 37.4 percent of college students seek help for “severe psychological problems” that surface during finals week.
“Of the 228 counselors surveyed, more than three out of four reported an increase in crises in the past five years requiring immediate response,” Di Meglio wrote. “42 percent noted an increase in self-injury and 24 percent have seen an increase in eating disorders.”
Don’t let finals week erase all of the fun memories that were created during the semester. As a senior, I have noticed that class work becomes very light the week before finals week. Taking advantage of that light week to study for finals can make you feel prepared and ready.
Susan Svrluga of The Washington Post shared in the article “‘College is for falling in love’: Five best tips for dealing with finals stress” author and psychiatrist Vanessa Braver’s five tips for “surviving” finals week.
Braver advises students to prepare a plan before the week begins, “avoid emotionally draining people,” create and keep a positive space, eat, sleep and “maintain a broader perspective.”
Braver explains that one or three exams will not frame the rest of your life. A “C” is not the end of the world.
“Test scores and specific grades will matter very little years from now,” Braver said. “Reframe your thinking to focus on the big picture as well as your long-term goals.”
There are many resources on campus to cope with finals week. Stop by the Counseling and Psychological Services in Brotman Hall to have a one-on-one therapy session with a qualified psychiatrist. Play with a therapy dog in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Pop a squat on the many lawns across campus.
Students of California State University, Long Beach: it is going to be okay. Finals week is five to seven days of exams to prove that you paid an inch of attention in your classes this semester. Believe it or not, school is for learning.
So prove to yourself this finals week that you can tackle exams, you can complete that monotonous group project and you can expertly scour the internet for that long-awaited, semester-defining research paper.
Queen Victoria, the longest-ever reigning female monarch, once said, “We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist.”