What is the biggest obstacle one must face during finals week? “Passing,” answered Caroline Orfano, a junior health science major at St. Bonaventure University.
Finals week can be the most intimidating time for a college student. The fast approaching exams leave feelings of worry, stress and uneasiness. For those about to face their finals week, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Due dates, papers, exams, and projects seem to all pile on top of each other. However, this does not have to be the case for this semester’s finals.
There are many study techniques one can do in order to best remember information.
First, it is important to figure out what kind of learner one may be. A person can figure this out by researching online different learning styles and then seeing what best suits his or her needs. Various studying tips include, making flashcards, quizzing oneself over and over and talking the information out loud until it clicks.
“Quizlet is a good one for vocab. Just making up pretests, like if your professor gives you questions, just make it as a pre-test. Just keep going over it until you’re saying it in your sleep,” said Orfano.
Other than one’s room, there are many places on campus that a person could study at. The most obvious place to study at is the library. The Friedsam Memorial Library at St. Bonaventure University is made of three floors with various group study rooms throughout it. If you are one that enjoys studying at the library, it is important to find a spot in it that helps produce optimal study results for you.
“Library, third floor,” said Orfano when asked where is her favorite place to study on campus. During finals, the library has a special schedule for its open hours. The third floor, like always, is a completely silent floor.
Other than the library, there are many places one can study at. There are many lounges located across campus including the Plassmann lounge on the first floor, the lounge on the second floor of the Jandoli School of Communication and lounges in dormitory buildings.
The Swan Business Center is also a great place for studying. It is open 24 hours every day of the week, as long as you remember to bring your student ID to scan in late at night, and has classrooms to study in.
Leah McCluskey, a senior strategic communications major at St. Bonaventure University, is preparing for finals week.
When asked if there is a spot on campus that she thinks not a lot of people know of she said, “Empty classrooms. During finals week, they open up certain classrooms and everybody doesn’t go [to the classrooms] – they go to the library. Sitting in the classroom you take the test in, at least for me, often times helps me remember more.”
When asked the same question, Orfano said “Depending on the time, Cafe La Verna is a really nice place to study at when there is no one around.” Every person has various needs so it is important to figure out what works for you.
There are many obstacles a person may face during finals.
“My biggest obstacle would probably be time management. Finals week and the weeks leading up to it seem to be the time where everybody piles everything on and it can be stressful,” said McCluskey.
Although studying is crucial, it is vital to take time to relieve stress. “Working out is a really good stress reliever. It balances your hormones so you can focus better,” said Orfano.
Healthy stress relievers, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep are also keys to success during finals.
Finals week is a duration of time all college students must face. As Orfano said, “Good luck, don’t stress out too much, and at the end, your grade is going to be whatever you get.”
By Kathy Williams
Staff Writer
williakp18@bonaventure.edu
