Newcomer's Guide to Finals Week
Upperclassman provide their advice for a successful finals week.
As the fall semester comes to a close, students are hunkering down to prepare for final exams. For incoming freshmen, navigating final exam preparation can be overwhelming, full of stress and unknowns. Luckily, MC’s experienced upperclassmen have some solid advice to share.
For this semester’s final installment of Newcomer’s Guide, juniors and seniors of various majors shared their wisdom to help freshmen navigate the demands of finals week. From study strategies to self-care methods, their advice can help test-takers not only get through, but excel during this critical time of academic evaluation.
Several students emphasized the importance of time management and scheduling. This is one of the most important aspects of test preparation, as final exams cover a broad and deep amount of knowledge for students to retain.
“My advice would be to really manage time effectively and focus on one class at a time,” junior political science major Alex Broadhead said. “Really use your resources like the writing center to your advantage as well.”
“Make sure you are actually learning what you are studying,” junior pre-physical therapy major Grey Craft said. “Don't just mindlessly sit there staring at papers not retaining what you are reading. Take a break and let your mind recharge even if it's only for five minutes.”
Other upperclassmen emphasized the need for a calm mindset during finals week. Although exams are important, a negative mentality can damage a student’s performance.
“I just believe that stress is the biggest problem with taking finals,” senior business administration major Tucker Ellzy said. “Sometimes you need to take a break and go get QuikTrip or whatever else with friends.”
Finally, other students emphasized the need for students to simply let go and rely on the hard work they put in, despite how challenging the task of finals may look.
“Social life, sleeping in, and sin are good distractions from what's important, but they are distractions nonetheless,” senior psychology major Garrett Posey said. “Don't get overwhelmed and know that you'll get the results for the work you put in!”
“Think of finals as important exams – not too daunting,” Reece Hindt, junior accounting major, said. “Just put in the extra study time, and you'll be good to go.”
From prioritizing effective time organization to maintaining a composed mindset, taking these steps can cultivate a successful finals week for incoming freshmen.
“Keep pushing yourself, so you can get to the light at the end of the tunnel,” said junior pre-physical therapy major Bryce Miller. “You guys will be out of here December 13th, but hey, who is counting down the days? Not me— 8 days.”