With the end of the semester approaching for Sinclair students, many of us are starting to feel the stress and heavy workloads that finals week brings. There are ways, however, to help you perform your best and reduce your worries for the end of the spring semester as well as upcoming ones.
Eric Henderson, a Sinclair mental health counselor, explained that he has encountered many students who feel the effects of finals week.
“Test anxiety is one of the topics that students come and talk to us about,” said Henderson. “Sometimes we see students specifically for finals.”
Emily Hudson, also a Sinclair mental health counselor, said that students can work on creating a schedule that plans a certain amount of time to study for each class. She also recommends that students fit in breaks and give themselves relaxation time.
“Studying when [and] where you study the best [and] knowing those things about yourself [can help] make sure you’re studying effectively,” said Hudson.
Henderson went on to say that students can sometimes encounter negative thoughts about their potential to perform well in their exams.
“If you do the proper studying, you should be able to tell yourself…‘I’ve studied hard for this exam. I’m going to do my best’” said Henderson. “Being able to change some of that possible negative thinking and [having] some more affirming positive thinking is something that I would throw out there.”
Students can determine at what point they start to feel the stress and anxiety of their exams. They can then use relaxation techniques to help them feel relief. Henderson said that some students have used guided relaxation videos online to help achieve this goal.
“I think doing stuff like taking practice exams can be really helpful,” added Hudson. “A lot of students have the anxiety [that] comes from being timed, but if they practice that, sometimes it eases that feeling. They kind of get used to feeling less pressure [or] watching the clock.”
Hudson also advised that students make sure they get enough sleep so that they feel well during the day.
“I think sometimes students end up pushing themselves – studying too much [or] late at night,” said Hudson. “You just have to be honest with yourself about what you can and can’t do.”
Henderson said that the counselors often suggest that students spend two hours for every credit hour a week on studying. They can also go back at the end of every week and review information that they previously learned in other weeks.
“When it gets to the week of your final or a test, that earlier information should start to feel pretty solid for you and you should only hopefully have to spend the week of the exam focusing on the most recent material,” said Henderson.
Students can also divide their readings up into smaller portions, such as one or two pages, and then think about the information they are learning. They can then take their notes on the important areas of that section.
Hudson also suggested that students find out what their learning styles are.
“Sometimes how you study depends on what subject it is,” said Hudson. “Definition-heavy classes might need flashcards, but if a student doesn’t learn visually that way, it’s not going to be helpful.”
Henderson also touched on the fact that many students choose to study at home. While at home, however, students are more aware of other responsibilities that they have outside of school and may choose to focus on those rather than their homework.
“A lot will automatically think studying at home makes the most sense, but for a lot of students, there’s a lot of distractions there,” said Henderson. “For some students, actually studying outside their house…can sometimes be a little bit more motivating.”
To be more effective at notetaking, students can ask their professor for permission to audio record the class. This allows them to write down what they feel are the key points and then return to the audio recording later and note information that they feel they missed. They can also take more time to detail their notes rather than feeling rushed in class.
“You don’t know what’s important and what’s not,” said Hudson. “No one can hear everything. You can’t write and hear for an entire class period and catch everything. You’re going to lose a portion of it.”
Students can also meet with other classmates outside of class to share notes with each other. Seeing someone else’s notes can also put a different perspective on the material. Students can also resolve questions on the material with one another.
When studying in a group, students can plan to each bring a certain amount of questions on the material to ask their classmates. Students can also take turns explaining certain topics to one another to help them test their knowledge on the information. They can also work on creating flashcards together or find a way to make their studying into a game.
Counseling Services offers sheets with advice on test anxiety, motivation, concentration and more on the Counseling Resources section of Sinclair’s website.
Sinclair’s counselors are available to students throughout the remainder of the semester. They can call the counselor office to set up an appointment. The counselors can help students with academic as well as personal issues. They are available twenty-four hours and, during odd times, students can reach out by calling the office and selecting a certain option to direct them to a counselor.
Students can reach Counseling Services at 937-512-3032.
Rebekah Davidson
Intern