As finals week rolls through and by the time you’re reading this it’s likely to already be gone, I’d like to reflect on this semester (and somewhat the whole year) as I decide how to spend this fourth finals week of my college career.

As I watch story postings of students staying up in the library until 2 a.m. and other students in tears over studying for their finals, I wonder why it is that I don’t feel this same, stressful way. A couple weeks ago I wrote an article on “A Simple Stepping Stone On The Road To Happiness” about coping with stress and how to manage and upkeep happiness. Recently I went through a stress meltdown myself, but it wasn’t necessarily about finals. It was more that I had taken on one too many things, which was testing my carefully constructed mental-health habits and system I’d adopted.

After a day or so, I had everything under control again. So why is it that I’ve never seemed to have this problem during finals week?

I look back at the semester and realize it’s because I have never allowed myself to slack on taking advantage of the potential I have in every day. If you are currently one of the students panicking about finals, there is a chance that it’s because your professor is terrible, you can’t teach yourself the material on your own, or that there’s too much material and your professor is crazy; however, there are higher odds that you might’ve slacked off at some point during the beginning of the semester or not necessarily even slacked off but failed to put just a little bit of extra effort during the semester on an assignment here or there.

At 2 a.m. when you’re staring at your laptop on the eighth floor of the library wondering where it all went wrong, you look back at everything you knew you could’ve put a little more work into and tried a little harder at as it now affecting the 190% you need to get on this exam to pass the class. You look back and realize that as much as you enjoyed going out five nights a week that maybe you could’ve done just fine with four and dedicated that fifth night to a little more studying and a little more sleep. You look back and realize that as much as “you can always retake the class, but you can never relive the party” is still a motto to live by that maybe college is still somewhat to be taken seriously since you just threw a few thousand dollars away on a class you’re going to now have to retake.

My point here being that no matter how this finals week is going for you, to take these stressful emotions you’re feeling into how you’re going to manage your next semester here at college. Maybe even if it’s the just the terrible professor you have to put more time and research into which classes you’re signing up for as Stacey from STAT2000 said Mr. Smith is easy but then again Stacey is more mathematically inclined than you so you decide to check RateMyProfessor instead. If it is your lack of effort you’ve put into this semester, then take the summer to reevaluate what it is that can make you want to put the work into something, whether that be the class or your time management. Whatever it is, take this stressful finals week as a learning experience and not the week from hell that deep down we all already know it is.

For the rest of you who are breathing easy this finals week, treat yourself to a well-deserved relaxing morning before your final exams. Personally this week, I will be completing a paper for my marketing class before my finals on Thursday and Friday that I don’t really need to study that much for. I’m able to spend at least an hour at the gym every morning without the stress of my MWF 10:30 class that I learned I shouldn’t sign up for a class before 11:30 from.

Tomorrow I’ll be taking advantage of the nice weather and going for a fasted, morning walk with my best friend before relaxing at my favorite diner for breakfast (always a treat). Finally, I’ll be packing up my dorm room for the last time before starting the 500 mile drive home towards no classes and warmer weather.

And for the graduating seniors, good luck on your next semester of life whatever that may be.

XOXO Isa