Let the Stress Begin

 

By, Katie Kendall | Writer   &   Melissa Whitsell | Writer

January 12. 2016

It’s that time of the year again. Finals are right around the corner. Zero period students are grateful for a week off of waking up early; however, students overall are dreading the week to come. During and before finals week students are often stressed and spend much of their time studying in the hopes of getting a good grade.

Finals can bring out the best and the worst in study habits. Often times the all-nighters and intense study groups can lead to one of two options; a complete meltdown or an “A” on that final.

 Study habits are fairly malleable, as they depend on the type of student, the classes they are taking, and the grade they hope to get. It is interesting to see what type of studying works best for the different types of learning. Some people say the best way for them to get a good grade is for them to not study at all.  On the other hand most people believe that studying with groups, memorizing terms, and analyzing topics is the best way to prepare for test.

Often times students will look to the RogerHub website to determine what grade they need to get on the final exam to get a certain grade in their class.  Another important factor in the study habits of students is the long weekend right before finals week which allows students to cram a few extra hours of studying in before the overwhelming week begins.

 Questions people often ask when finals come around include probing into the best study methods, the benefits of group and solo preparation, and the classes responsible for the most difficult exams. We interviewed multiple students across different grade levels to understand their study habits and their feelings about the upcoming finals week.

 

Logan Manning: Junior

How do you normally study for finals?

• I usually cram as much information as I can right before finals despite my expectations to spread out my study time.

Would you rather study in a group or alone? Why?

• I would rather study alone because I can get distracted easily in groups and groups tend to get off topic more than they actually study.

Which final will be your hardest? Why?

• Hmm, definitely my Honors Anatomy will be hardest because we have to know each and every bone in the body as well as if it is the right or left bone without holding it. Also, we have to identify each part of the individual bones.

 

Hannah Jolly: Senior

Have your study habits changed since freshman year?

• I started studying earlier than I did freshman year because of the fact that I’ve finally learned how to manage my time, too bad it took until my last year haha. Also, I use examples to learn rather than just straight reading notes. I feel like examples actually give meaning and reason rather than just facts.

Will you be spending the weekend before finals studying?

• Yes, I will be studying at least some of the days of the weekend before finals. I actually already started last week, so hopefully studying this weekend won’t be as stressful, and maybe I’ll get to take a relax break so I don’t go crazy. Also, having Monday off helps so students can study throughout the day.

What is one thing you are worried about for finals?

• I’m worried about my stats final because all of the concepts are extremely hard. This is probably the hardest test I’ve ever studied for since there are so many different types of math problems to be able to learn a single concept; but hey! I love a challenge!

 

Anne Gomez: Freshman

What will you be doing to best prepare yourself for finals?

• I will be using flashcards and notes mainly. Also, I’m meeting with a couple study groups for some of my classes because I feel like I’ll understand the material even more with the help of other people.

How do you feel about your first finals?

• I’m kind of scared and nervous, I mean who wouldn’t be? But at the same time I know that if I study and prepare myself, I feel like I will be fine.

On average, how long will you spend studying for finals in total?

• I’m not really sure to be honest. I don’t really know how to spread out my time between the different classes I have. I’m guessing I’ll spend close to 8 hours total, but who knows? It’s my first finals. 8 may turn into 3, or just as likely turn into 12.