Many student seems to have that one midterm exam that they are dreading. It can drain all of their studying time and, as a result, performance on other exams can suffer. Without a doubt, every student has at least one hard exam that requires a lot of energy, focus, and studying to succeed.
“Study time for other subjects is pretty much non-existent at this point in time,” said Nate Coryell, a senior, whose hardest final was in Latin IV.
With the exception of the subject, this is probably how many students feel. They are primarily focused on their hardest subject, and study time for the others only comes when they can find spare time or after they have taken the hard final. “I have projects for Civics and Math. Those are probably my two hardest finals, and it’s affecting my other subjects poorly because I’m spending less time on studying for other classes,” said Isaac Fink, a junior.
However, for some students, having a hard final isn’t so much of a problem. It’s all about their mentality.
“Calculus is my hardest final, and it’s on the same day as my Physics final,” said Michael Savage, another senior. “I’m studying more for Calculus than for Physics but it’s okay because I’m pretty confident in my Physics abilities.” Sometimes, what it comes down to is a student’s schedule, and what exams they have on certain days. Having harder finals spread out over a few days can help avoid the stress of cramming studying time or having to compromise between doing well on two different subjects.
Some are lucky enough to have their hardest final first, so that they can get it out of the way. This is the case for Ana Leon, a senior, whose hardest test was Latin but it is now out of the way.
Others simply just don’t feel the stress. “My hardest final is for Calculus, but it’s not really affecting my other subjects,” said Annie Flynn, also a senior. “I’m just spending more time on it. I’m just really comfortable during finals week.”
But how does she avoid the immense stress and pressure to do well? How does she maintain the focus needed? Her number one strategy to defend against stress, she said, is sleeping. “I will usually just study a lot and then fall asleep wherever I am. It clears my head.”
For others, like senior Jose Mendez, studying for a hard final isn’t very stressful for another reason. “My hardest final is World Lit., but I only have three finals total so I’m not too concerned with it taking time away from my other subjects.” Others may be less fortunate and may have more finals, but having less finals means having less stress.
No matter the situation, it is important to find strategies that work to reduce the amount of stress felt during finals week in order to achieve the highest potential performance on all exams and projects. There are many challenges that students face during finals week, but there are ways to succeed. Many students are facing the same problems, and can help each other by sharing strategies and studying together.
