It's that time of the year again — spring finals. Summer is just around the corner, and the weather is getting more beautiful with every passing day. But here you are, stressing over the six papers you have to write and the three exams you have to take within the next three weeks.
Finals week is only one week of the semester, and yet it produces the most stress and anxiety in students compared to any other time. It seems like there are no assignments or much at all due for a period of time and then bam!, they all come roaring at you like a tsunami. Maybe you procrastinated, waiting until the very last minute to even look at the assignments that must be completed simply for your own sanity. Or maybe you've been slammed with all of these assignments at one time. Either way, I'm here to try and console you.
Because I know this situation all too well.
I always start off each semester with a personal pep-talk, usually telling myself that I'm going to complete my assignments before the night they're due and always give 100 percent on everything. However, I always end up procrastinating on my assignments and probably not trying as hard as I should on them. I end up not being able to get a good night's sleep and stressing 24/7. You would think that after going through eight semesters of this cycle I would have changed my ways, but it's not that simple. I want to have a life outside of school as well, you know? Of course you do.
It's extremely hard to be a college student in this day and age, especially since there's a shortage of jobs out there once you actually graduate. But when you're in college, you have to learn to balance everything on your plate. You obviously have academic responsibilities, like papers and assignments, you have friends who probably want to go out every once and a while, and you may have a significant other you want to spend time with, and you may have a job in order to help pay for things. It's understandable you may procrastinate on some assignments in order to enjoy life, because you're a human being. You aren't meant to spend your days and nights with your head buried into a book (unless, of course, you're into that sort of thing).
There are some methods I use to temporarily de-stress as I try to cope with finals week. They may not be the best methods out there or anything you haven't heard of before, but they really do work for me (and I have anxiety and depression, so that counts for something).
The first method is tea. Not just any tea, either, but hot tea. There are so many kinds of tea out there for your enjoyment, but my favorite is ginseng. Ginseng tea is an herbal tea that naturally reduces stress and boosts the immune system. I'll usually drink ginseng tea at night before bed because it helps me clear my mind and get some much needed sleep.
The second method is to give yourself a day off. I know, it seems crazy to procrastinate even more than you may have already done, but hear me out. If you spend the next three weeks constantly working on assignments, you're going to explode — not literally, of course. I try to make a fun day out of my day off, like going to the beach and walking on the boardwalk or taking a trip to the zoo. The fun will take your mind off of everything for a little while, and may do you some good in the long run. When it's time for you to come back to reality, your mind will be refreshed and ready to go!
The third method is to sleep. Like I said, earlier, I use ginseng tea to help me sleep. Sleep is so majorly important when it comes to stress and finals. If you aren't sleeping well, or sleeping at all, your mental health isn't at its best. You need to rest and let your brain recharge for the tasks ahead, and by not allowing yourself to rest, you're ultimately harming your chances of successfully getting through finals week.
The fourth method, and probably the most difficult method, is trying to stay positive. You're almost at the end of the semester, it's the final home stretch. You're looking at a mountain, but just beyond it is sweet, sweet freedom. It may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's there. Don't sit and dwell on everything that you have to do, because that will just make your situation that much harder to get through. Try to look forward, and make sure you remember what it is that you're working towards — a degree, a better life, true happiness. Staying positive makes you a happier person, whether or not you're swamped with work, so make this a priority.
Just think about it — once you get through finals week, you'll have the entire summer to relax your mind and not worry about classes. You just have to remember you are stronger than you think, and that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. You've gotten this far, and you'll go farther in the coming weeks. The most imporant thing to remember is that you're most definitely not alone. So many college students go through end-of-the-semester stress, and I'm one of them.
You're going to make it, you're going to be fine. You're going to be one step closer to graduation once you get through, and you're going to get through.
