Students Stressed to Finish Finals
Every semester ends with a period in which students are either constantly taking exams or studying for said exams. After five months of hard work, many are feeling the weight of the stress that has been continually building. Each student deals with this in different ways, some ignoring it altogether.Finals burnout results from long hours put into each of your classes, and learning how to deal with it is the only way to make all of your efforts worth it.
While it is important to do well in your classes, neglecting your mental health by barely keeping your head above water is not the way to do it. In order to defeat burnout, it is crucial to make sure your needs are met, such as getting enough sleep, food, water, and above all, setting realistic goals for yourself rather than aiming for the impossible.
“I feel like many of my professors have assigned lengthy papers and projects with similar deadlines,” Molly Wilhelm, a visiting student from George Washington University said. “I've been working consistently on numerous assignments to get them all completed on time which has definitely been stressing me out.”
Despite the overwhelming stress that threatens to boil over, Wilhelm has some tricks up her sleeve that she employs to deal with it all. “I try to organize my time beneficially,” Wilhelm said. “I like to dedicate a certain amount of time to take breaks and relax in my busy days. I think making sure that I have enough time to de-stress between long periods of studying is important.”
Photo credit: AUP Instagram
By implementing mandatory breaks in your study routine, you are allowing yourself time to recoup and gather your thoughts instead of plowing straight through your entire workload. Taking a step back and evaluating your needs is key to escaping finals burnout.
Many students feel that this semester was one of their hardest to keep up with work.
“Since I’m studying abroad for the semester, I’ve felt a lot of pressure to spend my weekends traveling,” Sydney Brooke, a visiting student from Loyola Maryland University. “It has been extremely difficult trying to balance studying and making the most of my time here in Europe.”
Students are also feeling the heat to solidify their plans outside of AUP. Some pursuing careers, internships, or applying to other university programs.
“I have to apply to Law Schools this summer,” Brooke said. “Which means I need to keep my grades up if I want to even be considered as an applicant, and this is always on my mind when I am trying to study.”
Photo credit: Lily Pike
Finals burnout is a culmination of one’s different workloads, whether it be from school or outside components, becoming too much to handle all at once. Many universities are aware of this and run events during this time period as a way to relieve stress.
AUP organized a wellness day on May 4th, which included hosting a number of different dogs to make students feel better.
