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‘Hell between the holidays’: End of semester leaves students stressed |  |
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| By Amanda Franzen The library overflows with students staring at computers in frustration. Desperately they attempt to finish the research papers that were assigned at the beginning of the semester. No one can believe that time slipped away this quickly. It seems as if only yesterday the school year began. Now it is that time of limbo when every project and paper just happens to have the exact same due date. Students lack enough time to finish the mounds of homework sprawled in front of them let alone the time to do anything else. The span of days between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break always seems to be the worst for students. In many classes, these are the weeks when all of the most important projects, presentations, and papers are due. “I would say the week before finals week stresses me out the most. It is a week of rushing to get papers done, figuring out what needs to be studied, and making sure everything is turned in before it’s too late,” said Cassie Dickerson, junior. Laura Homan, junior, said, “I hate the long list of things I have to do before the end of the semester. If it was just one thing I could handle it, but there is so much that I have to do in all of my classes. It feels completely overwhelming.” This stress builds up for many students and may have some very bad side effects which can make this stressful time even worse. “Many students go on auto–pilot during this time and completely shut down. The weeks between the two holiday breaks are always my least busy,” said Brenda Crawford, Morningside counselor. “Students are so concerned about getting all of their homework done that they stop practicing all self–care such as seeing me, eating, and sleeping. They get rid of or reduce the things they can control in order to make more time for homework.” Despite the seemingly never ending piles of homework and the to–do lists that never get done, there are a few ways students can ease the end of semester crunch. As Crawford states, there are exactly 168 hours in every week. No more and no less. The more effectively a student can use this time, the less stressful the end of the semester becomes. First, plan and organize time effectively. Make sure to build a schedule around fixed time commitments such as eating, class, employment, and organizations. Remember to plan sufficient amounts of study time of each subject, study at a regular time, and try to study at the same place. Also, utilize odd hours between classes. “One of the most prominent issues for most students is that they plan for more than 24 hours in a day. It is important to realize that you only have 24 hours and you must work with what you have” warned Crawford. Prof. Jen Mosokwitz, English, offers additional advice. “I encourage all of my students to eat, sleep, and convince them that they are not going to catch up on an entire semester’s worth of work in such a short time. They need to remember to take breaks and prevent themselves from cramming for tests,” Moscowitz explained. “I think people would do better if they focused more on sleeping and eating than cramming. In fact, it is proven that students who take multiple choices tests when tired do worse because the exhaustion takes away their ability to determine the difference between the right and wrong answers.” All of this advice proves that students need to relax. They must take time for themselves away from the mountains of homework to prevent even higher stress levels. Dickerson laughed, “Ha! I just try to space out my studying/homework with small breaks. I just take time to get out of my room, even if it is just a walk outside or sit in someone else’s room for a bit. “I play video games or try to find something that just relaxes me and takes my mind off things for a little while like watching a movie,” said Brandon Goodrich, senior. If students feel guilty for relaxing and taking even a few minutes to breathe, let the guilt dissipate now. Most students are more prepared than they think which makes cramming unnecessary. “If you are functional in the class, attend regularly, and attempt the homework, you are okay. There is no need to panic. When you keep up with the class work, it eliminates the need to cram. Even if you do not understand all the material, still go to class. The worst thing a student can do is fall behind,” warned Moskowitz. The few weeks between holiday breaks can be hell. No matter how stressful things become, remember there is light at the end of the tunnel. Take those piles of homework piece by piece and have a little fun. (Dec. 5) |
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