One More to Go, the Stress of Finals.

With the semester steering near an end and final exams approaching quickly it is crucial to try to avoid the terrible “end of semester slump” and remember that you should always practice self-care.

Self-care includes such things as; not skipping meals, even though it is hard to find the time to eat your body needs nutrition to properly fuel your brain; making sure you are getting enough sleep during the week of finals can help with awareness during your exam, and in turn give you greater probability of a higher score; Setting an alarm an hour before you want to go to bed will remind you that you need to finish things up, shower, brush your teeth, and get ready for tomorrow. Turning off your phone at night might not seem like self-care but it will reduce distractions, light, and noise allowing you to fall asleep quicker.

Staying organized is another great way to be less stressed for finals. Getting a calendar and writing down all your assignments and having a study plan will help make things feel less overwhelming, and allow you to set a good study schedule to avoid the dreaded “burn out.” Ever get to the point that you have been studying for a long period of time and everything seems to make no sense at all? That’s called “burn out,” and that means it is time for a much-needed study break. To make the most use out of your study break you should get up and move your body, go for a walk, eat a light snack, or you can even watch an episode of your favorite television show but be weary that you do not end up in a binge-frenzy!

Doing something you enjoy during study-breaks will allow your brain to relax and rejuvenate before diving back into your school work making it more likely that what you were not understanding before will come to you much more easily and alleviate some of the stress or anxiety you may have been feeling.

Knowing that the semester is coming to an end can be both stressful and rejoiceful but we need to be mindful we are practicing the right habits so that you do not wear yourself down and end up burning out. If you are feeling unconfident about your next exam the Student Success Center is an available resource for any and all students to help with your tutoring needs. Smarthinking’s online tutoring program is also available to use for free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and includes tutoring in subjects like: Math, English, Nursing, Business, Science and Computer Technical classes.

“Will it be easy? NOPE. Worth it? ABSOLUTELY.” -Unknown

Layla Powell,

 Student Multimedia Reporter, BHC Campus

For comments, responses, or story suggestions e-mail me at: lpowell@mohave.edu