The Final Stress

It is almost that time again—final exams time (a collective groan goes out)! Don’t be caught unaware and react in stress. Because exams can be demanding, your mind and body naturally react to the anticipation of these demands. Getting “psyched up” about finals helps you stay alert, attentive, and focused.

Too much worry may lead to final exam panic:

• You waste time worrying about your GPA/class rank rather than preparing for finals.
• Instead of studying more, you study less… until the last possible moment.
• You don’t sleep much the night before the exam. You stay up late to cram.
• You’re convinced you will receive a bad grade or that your mind will go blank during the exam.

The panic preceding finals appears to result from distorted thinking about exams and behavioral patterns in preparing for them. Distorted thinking is the unrealistic way students think about themselves and their exams, such as feeling inadequate or worrying excessively about the grades they think they’ll receive. Behavioral patterns, such as study habits, are a second cause.

So how do you minimize final exam panic? Here are some helpful hints from Washington State University (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/academic/counseling/finalExam.aspx):

• Remind yourself that an exam is a professor’s measure of your knowledge or skill in a course and not a reflection of who you are as a whole person.
• Don’t procrastinate. Focus on the present and what steps you can implement to prepare.
• Give yourself pep talks. Create self-motivating statements like: “I’ll feel better later if I study now.”
• Balance your time. Splash cold water on your face, eat some energy food, get fresh air, or have a brief conversation with a study partner.
• Prioritize. Decide which courses need more attention. Identify weak areas within each subject.
• Review previous quizzes and exams. Familiarize yourself with the kinds of questions asked.
• Be prepared. Have study sheets with you at all times, then study them when you can.
• Stay in good shape. Avoid caffeine, sugar, and non-prescription drugs. Get regular, restful sleep.
• Learn to relax. Breathe and tell yourself, “the answer will come when I think things through calmly.”
• Solicit support. Form study groups with classmates and quiz each other.

Originally published in Collegiate