By Madeline Brown
The end of the semester can be one of the most stressful times of year for many students.
Classes are wrapping up and finals are approaching, but for students who are feeling behind or need a little help, there are still options.
Trevecca offers many resources to help during these few weeks filled with worries and anxiety.
Mark Bowles, director of academic services, shared a few tips to ace finals and minimize stress.
“Actively engage in reading and studying, eliminate multitasking, and take control of your calendar” are Bowles’ top strategies for studying. The most beneficial way to actively engage is to create a study guide, such as a quizlet, or make the material personal by linking it to things that you have experienced, he said.
Even ‘becoming the teacher’ and speaking out loud to yourself or to others is a great way to help soak up the information. However, multitasking is a trap. Bowles adds that being on a phone or jumping around different tabs makes it hard to focus.
Turn off your phone or set app limits to avoid falling back to your phone. Bowles noted that creating a schedule for study times by “taking control of your calendar” is extremely helpful to keeping organized and on task to avoid falling behind.
One key resource on campus is the tutoring center.
“Everything one needs to connect with the tutoring program (including online request forms) is accessible through TNU4U,” he said. Go to the ‘My Bookmarks’ section, click on ‘Tutoring Services and Academic Coaching’ under ‘CAMPUS LINKS’. On the academic services website scroll down (or use the bulleted links at the beginning of the website) to ‘subject area content help—request a one-on-one tutor’ and click on the ‘SUBMIT A TUTOR REQUEST’ button. Students need to complete that form and submit it.
“My goal is to connect students with tutors within 48 hours,” said Bowles. Study rooms are also available for reservations, but those get booked fast, so check the Waggoner Library website often. Look under the services section on the Waggoner Library homepage and click ‘Book a Study Room’.
“Most of my stress comes from procrastinating, so dealing effectively with that is my best self-care/de-stress plan,” he said. A TED Talk by Mel Robbins offers tips on how to overcome procrastination, Bowles shared.
Other self care tips are eating well and staying hydrated. Making sure to take breaks if studying for long hours or for several days.
The best study tip was “finding a friend to teach the information to,” said Madison Hatcher, a junior entrepreneurship major.
“I find that when you can teach it, it shows an understanding of the material overall and helps retain information,” said Hatcher. She added that “reviewing directly before bed, right when you wake up, and right before the test” has been helpful to her.
Bowles said the best way to move the material from short term memory to long-term is to engage and personalize the material.
“Find multiple ways to process it. Talking aloud, rewriting notes, working in study groups and hearing other students as they process concepts. Give your mind scheduled breaks and stick to the schedule, especially the part about getting back to work when the break is over!”
