Campus Echo StaffAs the semester winds down and final exams begin, students are feeling the weight of looming deadlines and exams. With winter break on the horizon, students are focused not just on finishing, but finishing strong. And in order to succeed, students must find strategies to manage the pressure and stress.
“We’re all just trying to make it to the end,” Raegan Jordan, a pre-nursing sophomore, said.
During this time of the year, some students across classifications often they feel burnout. Freshmen are facing their first college finals, sophomores are balancing heavier course loads, juniors must navigate upper-level courses and seniors prepare for graduation.
“Honestly, I’ve heard my friends at every classification talk about how drained they are right now,” business administration senior Ma’Kiya Johnson said.
Amid growing academic pressures, here are some strategies for staying present and productive.
Using time management strategies
Breaking assignments into smaller pieces
Students can break larger assignments or projects into individual steps that make the assignment more manageable. Creating an outline first can keep students from feeling overwhelmed during exams.
Use planners or digital reminders
Using tools such as google calendar, reminder apps, or organization apps like Notion allows students to keep track of deadlines and help build a routine that best suits them. Scheduling reminders helps students plan ahead to beat procrastination.
Organizing to-do lists
While organizing to-do lists may seem tedious, making a weekly or even daily to-do list helps prevent missed assignments and help students plan ahead. Checking off items on a to-do list can boost a student’s motivation to do assignments on time.
Getting expert help
Visit professors during office hours
Students can use the office hours of their professors during office hours given by the professors during finals. Email your professors to meet with them outside of their given office hours in order to review and ask about assignments that you may need help with before major projects are due. Seeking help from professors before assignments are due can strengthen students’ understanding of assignments, and help with confidence to finish the semester strong!
Visit NCCU’s tutoring services
NCCU Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction offers students help in subjects like math, writing and science. Students can schedule appointments to review class material or practice difficult concepts. Tutors and administrators can help explain topics in a new way and help students build confidence before exams.
Finals season can be overwhelming, causing students to experience high levels of stress. In addition to dedicating hours to study, students should also remember to manage their stress.
Stress management
Time blocking
Scheduling specific hours for studying, meals, classes and rest can help students avoid overworking themselves. Time blocking creates structure and ensures students make time to recharge.
Lean into community
Spending time with friends, joining study groups or talking to family may help students feel less isolated and more supported through the end of the semester.
Use campus counseling services
NCCU counseling can help students tackle stress, anxiety and academic pressures that arise during the end of the semester. Counseling can help students learn coping strategies and stress relief tools that are individualized to suit each student.
“Hanging out with friends and knowing that they are going through the same things as me kind of unites us and we are able to study together, eat together and just help each other through the end of this semester,” mass communication sophomore Antonio Ammons said.
As NCCU students continue their end-of-semester sprint, they aren’t alone in the struggle.
“We, as students, are trying to make sure we end the semester on a good note. So we are able to come back next semester refreshed and ready to start a new semester,” Ammons said.
This story was written by S’Mari Fields and Taliyah Jordan
