Self-Care During Finals Week

BY KERISA BROWN

As finals week begins, it’s not surprising that more and more students are becoming stressed as they try to prepare for their big final exams, presentations, and projects. Not only is finals week approaching quickly, but with the pandemic still going on in the community, students who might not be used to online classes could be even more stressed out. 

While we can give tips and tricks to practicing self-care, it’s important to remember that everyone practices self-care differently and the same thing isn’t going to work for everyone. With this in mind, there are still some common useful tips to practicing self-care.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of self-care during finals is remembering to sleep enough throughout the week. It’s easy to want to give up hours of sleep in order to cram for final exams, but getting a good night’s sleep can actually help students retain the information they are studying for finals.

“I think sometimes we forget that more isn’t always more; we just want to cram, and we want to spend so much time studying and oftentimes we might neglect some of the simple things that are going to help make studying more effective” Kelly Center Case Manager Jessica Albin said.

For FHSU senior, Jaryth Barten, these simple things come in the way of social interaction and fun activities. 

“I focus on keeping my life balanced. I get really drained without social interaction and some fun. In addition to planning study and work time I make sure to have plans with friends,” Barten said. “Things like game nights, catching a movie, or even spontaneous trips to Walmart keep me going.”

Maintaining a healthy school and social life balance is vitally important when dealing with finals week stress. Prioritizing school work and deadlines are important but staying connected with friends and taking advantage of your support systems is necessary, too (while keeping in mind the recommended COVID-19 protocols, of course). Making plans can reduce stress during finals but also provides an opportunity to check in on friends who might be struggling.

“I make sure to schedule time to study, get homework/projects done, but to also schedule time to go to the gym, eat, and socialize or give myself a break. Having a set schedule helps me feel more motivated and organized” senior Lexi Gross said.

Sticking to a routine and/or making schedule is one way to stay on track as finals week begins to pick up. Things can get quite hectic when all the major assignment deadlines are approaching. Sticking to a schedule can help with time management and organization while also making sure that necessary breaks are regularly scheduled to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

“When we can just pull ourselves back for a minute and get organized and create a schedule we see that we have enough time to do everything that we need to do and then we can kind of plan in those times to still eat, sleep, and take brain breaks. “ Albin said.

If you or someone you know is struggling through finals right now, encourage them to contact the Kelly Center on Campus to get help. The Kelly Center offers individual academic counseling, free tutoring, and other tools to help students who might need help managing the challenges that come along with finals week.

Kelly Center Contact:

Picken Hall, Room #111

M-F 8:00am to 4:30pm CST

(785) 628 – 4401