Now that finals are over for most colleges, it's time to talk about the sad truth behind how bad finals take a toll on students. Finals week is the most dreaded week of each semester for students, turning people into walking zombies who are emotionally unstable. We joke about how hard finals are and how they make us want to drop out of school, but the reality is that finals week is actually hindering our health.
The misuse of "study drugs"
Most students take around five finals during the end of the semester. This causes cramming and constant studying. Some students find their help in drugs that are meant to be prescribed to people, but being in college, you can get your hands on things extremely easily.
Side effects of these drugs
After using these "study drugs" students are more likely to get less sleep as well as become dehydrated, and they do not consume the amount of calories they need. All of these things that students lose are what they need to perform their best on their final exams. They need food, water, and sleep for proper brain function.
Mental breakdowns
The amount of stress put on students at this time of the semester is unreal. The thought of everything that needs to be done is enough to make one scream. You will find students crying in the library, their dorm room, the bathroom, and in the middle of their final.
Nervous stomachs
Before tests happen, students get nervous knowing they need a certain amount of points to get their desired grade. They get worked up to the point of not eating or even throwing up (gross, I know). That is extremely unhealthy, to be so stressed out to the point of you getting physically sick over it.
The aftermath
When tests are finally over, and there's no more stress, then comes the time when the physical pain of finals sets in. The lack of sleep kicks in, where all one wants to do is sleep for 24 hours straight. The hunger of not eating hits and all you want to do is eat 10 tacos from Taco Bell. The next few days after finals actually pain you because of everything you have deprived yourself of during the week.
Overall, finals become a time where students are not themselves. They are sleepless monsters because their grades are riding on one last test of the year. The stress that is put on these kids is unhealthy in many different aspects. The educational system needs to find a new way to judge our smarts without forcing us to cram five tests into one week.
