Stress can motivate or overwhelm you
Though stress is a necessary part of life, first-year students are not always aware when it escalates beyond a normal level. Here are a few indicators:
Physical: fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia, headaches, muscle tension, and adrenalin rushes
Psychological: memory problems, irritability, poor concentration, lower self-esteem, panic, and high anxiety
Behavioral: procrastination or avoidance, skipping meals and exercise, and excessive socializing
What you can do to minimize stress
Avoid catastrophizing (e.g., if I fail this exam I may flunk out of school), be aware of your stressors, focus on what you can control in the present, and incorporate some of the following activities and strategies into a stress-management plan for finals week:
Self-Awareness and Mindfulness
- Practice relaxation techniques, such as slow diaphragmatic (or deep) breathing.
- Avoid stressful situations or stressors—e.g., people who are overly tense, anxious, or stressed about final exams.
- Schedule 30 minutes of daily quiet time in an environment free of ambient noise and distractions.
- Create or revise a positive final exam script with you taking responsibility for your success.
Studying
- Prioritize studying time based on exam dates and assignment deadlines, percent or weight of final exams, importance of courses (e.g., major courses), or other factors.
- Develop a final exam study schedule. Estimate the amount of study time required for each exam or end-of-semester project, and divide each day into periods with specific goals or outcomes in mind, and avoid “cramming” or “all-nighters.”
- Study with friends who are committed to academics. This means minimizing your interaction with roommates and friends who are more interested in socializing than studying.
- Take a 10 or 15 minute break for each 60 to 90 minutes of studying.
Personal Health or Well-Being
- Sleep a minimum of seven hour a night.
- Eat regular meals and healthy foods—Fruit and vegetables and high-protein foods (e.g., eggs, peanut butter, cheese, nuts, or meat), not high-carbohydrate “stress” food (e.g., chips, chocolate, crackers, or cookies). And avoid too much SECs—soda, energy drinks, and coffee.
- Maintain exercise regime before, throughout, and after finals weeks.
Good luck with your upcoming exams, and enjoy the upcoming winter break and we look forward to seeing you back on campus in January!