MC finals survival guide
It is that time of year again. . . dun dun na du. Maryville College Finals week. The week that could make or break your semester in just two hours of testing. Many students take this week to bulk up on their caffeine intake and save the Netflix binge watching for the week after. Some just continue with their everyday schedules.
Others can skip the whole finals week altogether. There are those professors who just don’t believe in finals, and we salute you. Whatever the case may be, here is a quick MC finals survival guide to keep you afloat this testing season.
- Do take breaks. If it’s a final project you are working on, take a break. If you have been studying for over three hours, take a break.
- Do go to finals breakfast. Finals breakfast is a great Maryville College tradition where your favorite, or maybe even not so favorite, professors serve students breakfast at Pearsons dining hall. Take a break from the books and come enjoy a breakfast-filled fourth meal with your friends.
When: Monday Dec 11. at 10pm. Many students enjoy this MC tradition, so you should try and get in line an hour before the cafeteria opens. Some years the line can get crazy long. Where: Pearson’s Dining hall. I hope to see all of you there!
- Do Not pull an all nighter. Sleep is extremely important when it comes to brain functionality and memorization, so make sure to get lots of sleep before that 9 a.m. organic chemistry exam.
- Do alleviate stress. I know it is hard to even find time to sleep and eat, let alone take breaks or even longer strides of time to reward yourself; however, in the end it will be all worth it when you get that an A on that art history exam without an exploding anxiety attack that leaves your immune system worthless.
With that being said, after studying for a few hours (two to four hours with little breaks spaced throughout) reward yourself to alleviate the stress. Go and binge watch the last three episodes of “Riverdale.” Grab a hot chocolate and start on your absurdly long Christmas reading list.
Some people even like to exercise.
“ I exercise to relieve stress,” said Corrinne McClure, a senior political science major here at Maryville College. She has been through it all when it comes to papers, projects and end of semester exams.
“Taking walks between study sessions is helpful,” she said. “You can even go up and down the stairs in Thaw.”
Other students like to take the time to focus on their mental health. Maddie Carpenter is a senior history major with teachers licensure and explained the struggles of finals week. Carpenter explained that the only way to deal with heavy amounts of stress is to really focus in on your mental health state and devote time to self care.
“Whatever that (self care) may be, like face masks or taking some hours out of the day to go pet some cows, allow yourself to alleviate stress and even have a little fun during finals week,” she said.
In the end, no matter what you do, no matter how you do on final exams, everything will be okay. My advice is to just try your best. Everyone’s best is different. Your very best may look like an A+, while your neighbors very best may be a C-, but both are equal in that you both tried your very best. That’s all that matters (unless you need to graduate, then you had better be pulling a D+ or higher. You can do it). I know end of semester finals before Christmas can be hard, grueling and altogether downright evil–especially those cumulative exams. Just stay focused, take breaks, eat well, get some sleep and know that in the end all that matters is going home and being with family and friends for the holidays.