It’s not exactly the most wonderful time of the year. Going to the library for a study session has become a fifteen minute stroll through the endless bookshelves to find an empty desk, only to discover the one open spot you thought you’d found has someone else’s stuff in the chair. Coffee has become the new water. Sanctions and Bluebooks are being bought in bulk, and students with overstuffed backpacks are flocking to office hours like moths to a flame.
Yes, it’s final exam time here at Ole Miss, arguably the most stressful two weeks of the year.
Here are a few quick ways to cope for the next two weeks, from students and the university:
1. Party it up at the library: That is, party smart at the J.D. Williams Library. This Wednesday starting at 3 p.m. and Thursday at 4 p.m., the J.D. Williams Library will be hosting Research Parties, open to the public, where students can have a librarian or a Writing Center tutor take a look at their research papers. Music and refreshments will be available, all students need to do is show up with their papers and questions. You’re not alone out there research paper writers, the library is at your service.
2. Find a safe place: Speaking of the library, in honor of finals week library hours have been extended to offer students a nice quiet place to study – 24 hours per day. So whenever you need an escape from your dorm or apartment, a quiet place to study in groups, or if you feel like cracking open a book at 3 a.m., the library is the place to be. Just keep in mind, study carrels fill up mysteriously quickly this time of year.
3. Pet a Pup: College campuses across the nation are being invaded with cuteness to help stressed out students cope with stress. Cuddling releases hormones in the body which help it to deal with stress and can even offset some of the negative effects stress has on the body, such as increased heart rate and even depressed moods. So this weekend if you’re feeling like your head is about to explode, come to the library Saturday from 2-4 p.m., or Sunday from 4-6 p.m. in classroom 106D, and bury your woes in some sweet puppy love.
4. Know a warm cup of Joe will be there for you: Applaud your sainted library, Ole Miss. Not only has it opened itself up at a sweet, sweet study asylum and a puppy paradise, but the beautiful Starbucks has also extended its hours for finals week, starting Sunday. Lift your wilted spirits with a warm cup of your favorite drink. Smile to show your thanks.
5. If needed, seek help: Sometimes even the most adorable puppy on the planet isn’t enough to keep your hands from shaking when you realize you’ve got two finals on Monday but you couldn’t start reviewing for either one until Saturday because of the research paper that was due Friday. From 3-4:30 p.m. every day this week at the Counseling Center, there will be a lecture open to the public on how to deal with test anxiety. Students who believe they may be dealing with test anxiety are encouraged to make an appointment at the Counseling Center to get help on how to better handle their stress.
6. Educate yourself: And no, I don’t just mean study so hard you can still see your notes if you stare at a blank wall. Educate yourself on the very real problem of test anxiety, and know how to recognize it in yourself or others. If you have any questions about study or test anxiety, go to the Counseling Center for more information.
7. But also educate yourself: Now I mean study. Don’t put everything off until the last minute; pace yourself. Know what finals you have and when, and for goodness sake, please do not try and pull the infamous all-nighter. Your brain remembers information infinitely better when it is learned in chunks, and has time to process and understand. Trying to pack your brain with an avalanche of information in one caffeine-powered night will only make you groggy, and can even add to stress.
8. Go to bed: Speaking of all-nighters, another reason to avoid the temptation to will yourself to stay awake with coffee and sugar-loaded energy drinks is that you need sleep to succeed. Sleep deprivation can lead to all sorts of negative effects, such as forgetfulness, confusion, short-temperament and even depressed mood, all of which combine in a perfect recipe for failure. At an absolute minimum you need about four hours of sleep to perform well on an exam. Besides, just because you’re staring at a textbook with a highlighter in your hand doesn’t mean you’re comprehending the information anyway.
9. Treat yourself: If you have decided to retreat into a vacuous study-coma, make sure you bring along a favorite candy or other small reward. For every 20-30 minutes you study, take a 5-10 minute break. At the end of longer projects, go out for ice cream or take a nice hot shower. Avoid going on your phone or social media during these breaks because before you know it, your 10 minutes between chapters has turned into an hour and a half on Facebook. But giving your brain a little rest every now and again will give you time to absorb information better and help you to stay alert.
10. Take care of yourself, too: Shower. Eat. It doesn’t have to be a ceremony, you don’t have to spend an hour fixing your hair or anointing yourself with perfumed oils, but set time aside to keep up with your personal hygiene. Sacrificing a shower for 20 extra minutes of study time really won’t do anything but stress you out more, and skipping meals means skipping out on getting your body the energy it needs to tackle your next exam. Your body needs fuel besides caffeine and sugar, especially when you’re under stress. Avoid fast foods and junk, aim more towards brain foods like whole grains or apples. If you really can’t fight your sweet tooth, try dark chocolate; it’s good for your brain. Whatever you do, just be sure you’re taking care of yourself.
11. Don’t buckle down: Besides being terribly uncomfortable, gluing yourself to your desk chair for four hours, even with little breaks scattered here and there, isn’t going to do you much good. Staying in any one position for too long exhausts the body, and as we’ve said before, exhaustion is bad. Instead, move around a little bit. If you’re having trouble with a particular chunk of material, stand up and pretend you are lecturing a classroom – this will also help you remember the material better. If your jam comes on Spotify, get up and bust a move. Getting your blood flowing means more oxygen to your brain, and will keep you from feeling stiff and sore, so you can focus better on calculus, and less on the shooting pain in your lower back.
Remember, it’s not the end of the world: I think it would be safe to say we are all at least somewhat familiar with the crushing pressures of being a university educated student in today’s world. At times, it can be hard to remember that while it’s important to try your best, that shouldn’t mean you feel like having to resort to any sort of drastic measures to succeed. Taking un-prescribed medication, cheating or plagiarizing are not only against university policy (and the law), they are also signs that education has become less about learning and more about grades, and what’s the point of that? So breathe, take big breaths in (hold for 7 seconds) and exhale slowly (8 seconds). Close your eyes. Be still for a second. You can do it.
