Surviving Finals: UT faculty gives students advice for upcoming exams

Dust off your textbooks, pull out your notes and mentally prepare for what’s coming — the dreaded finals week.

Though feeling stressed isn’t new for most students, the anxiety of exams can be overwhelming and even send some students into a frenzied panic. To help keep your stress levels under control during finals week, the professors and counselors at the University of Toledo are offering some advice.

Prioritize your time

Stanley Edwards, director of the UT counseling center, said good time-management skills are essential for reducing stress. He recommends using stress-management techniques such as deep breathing to help stay calm when things seem out of control.

Sharon Barnes, women’s and gender studies interim chair, said focusing on the most important elements of an exam and thinking about the information strategically when studying will help students perform better.

“Plan your studying, including how long you have and how much you can do so that you make the best possible use of your time,” Barnes said. “Don’t try to re-read all of the chapters in the book. That’s not possible at this point and not a good use of your time even if it is.”

Communicate with your professor

Professor of communication Brian Patrick advises students who think they may have missed something during class to visit their professor, but not to rely on them just handing out answers.

“Do not go to the professor after being absent the last six weeks of class and ask, ‘Did I miss anything?’” Patrick said. “Kind of assume you did and ask if there is some way you can demonstrate knowledge of the material that you missed.”

Patrick also said asking for extra credit is a bad idea if you’ve missed assignments during the semester.

“Do not go to your professor in the last week and ask if you can do extra credit, because he or she may reply, as I sometimes do, ‘You haven’t even done the original credit yet,’” Patrick said. “Try a different approach.”

And plagiarizing papers? “Don’t plagiarize, whatever the temptation or out of sheer desperation, for it will hurt you in the long run both spiritually and reputation-wise,” Patrick said. “Talk to your professor if you are this bad off.”

Take care of your body

According to Edwards, students especially need to get enough sleep when their minds and memories will be tested during exams.

“Students should remember that they will perform better if they are rested and have been eating properly,” he said.

Honors professor Ashley Pryor reminds students that during a high-stress week like finals, their bodies require even more attention and upkeep than usual.

“During stressful times, it is more important than ever to attend to your basic needs,” Pryor said. “Make sure you get adequate sleep, eat well, get exercise and enjoy short breaks with friends.”

Break things down into easier chunks

Patrick urges students to “prioritize, divide and conquer” when writing or trying to tackle a large assignment.

“All this stuff about multi-tasking is BS,” Patrick said. “I can do only one thing at a time and that’s on a good day. Start or work on pieces of larger things.”

Patrick said students need to admit that stress exists, but not allow it to dominate their lives. He advises them to “get started on things” quickly and not procrastinate.

“Write a bit, solve a problem, go back and revise what you have already written, and your mind will warm to the task,” he said. “You will produce.”

Don’t give up

Perhaps most importantly of all, Patrick wants students to know that the agony of exams will be worth it in the end.

“Never give up. Get over the hump,” Patrick said. “A week or so of agony now leads to years of pleasure in the future. You will live through this.”

Analyze and reflect afterward

Professor of philosophy Nina Anatasova said if students don’t understand the course material the first time around, they should try not to worry and realize that they’re still capable of understanding it later.

“Chances are it will click someday,” she said. “If it’s really important for you to master the material and get a good grade in this course, retake it. Make sure you stay in close contact with your instructor the second time around so you can get help with the challenging parts as you go.”

According to Barnes, students should take time to reflect and try to understand how they learn best.

“It takes some time to become self-reflective, but if you bomb a test or a course, you owe it to yourself to understand why it happened and make some changes to avoid it next time,” Barnes said. “We are all growing and learning, so don’t forget to put some effort into understanding yourself and how you think and learn.”

Jackie Layng, professor of communication, said doing poorly on an exam isn’t the end of the world and students shouldn’t let it ruin their attitude toward their academic future.

“What’s important is to figure out what went wrong and make the correction so you improve,” Layng said. “That’s what learning is all about and that’s why getting in education is vital to succeeding in today society.”