Photo courtesy: Boston University (Many students are feeling the effects of the end of the semester.)
Troy Lafond
Connector Editor
It is that time of year again: finals. But as everyone who has been to college for a few years knows, spring finals are uniquely more brutal than fall finals.
Before the fall semester, we had about three months to rejuvenate. While this rejuvenation time may include summer courses, jobs or internships, it is still a time to distract our minds from the pressures of academic stress.
However, after fall finals, we only have a month to recuperate. Any needed winter classes are much more condensed and higher paced. There is less time and opportunity to go on fun getaways, and the brutal winter weather often leaves many of us inside. After this short month, we are back at it.
The mid-semester spring break often does more harm than good, which can go one of two ways for students. It either serves as an opportunity for students to go on a vacation and completely remove themselves from “school mode” before needing to readjust in a mere month before finals, or it serves as an opportunity for students to catch up on work, which does not truly serve as the break time students need.
As such, students must find a way to get themselves in the mindset to study, write, make projects or do whatever their specific major expects of them. As someone who has been through this process many times, here are some ways to deal with the burnout and get through finals.
One important tactic I have discovered is to learn which assignments to prioritize and deprioritize. Some nights, there have been too many things that need to be done for the next day to reasonably do them all. If you start losing too much sleep due to homework, future assignments and exams will progressively get worse and worse. If there is a small stakes assignment that does not count towards your overall grade, it is okay to miss it here or there. Do not make it a habit, and do not do it with major projects, but make sure to know that it is okay to miss something to sleep.
Additionally, taking days off is important. Putting your complete all into every single day will quickly become exhausting. When you recognize one day that you do not have too many assignments due next Sunday or Monday, you do not always need to feel like you have get ahead on work for the rest of the week. Go see a movie, go get some good food, watch your favorite show, play your favorite game—just take your mind off school for a day. It is important to take time for yourselves.
Finals are a marathon, not a sprint. Take care of yourselves throughout, and make sure that you keep the mental stamina for the final two weeks. See your friends, go to a party—always make sure you make time to prioritize yourself. As important as getting
good grades and succeeding in finals is, it is even more important to look after your mental health
