 |
|
JILL MARICICH/ Arizona Daily Wildcat
|
Terri West, administration associate for campus health, receives a free three-minute massage from massage therapist Julie Perkins at the Student Health Center.
|
|
By Nate Buchik
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday December 11, 2002
Holidays, finals make the end of the semester a trying time for many
You have a biology exam on Monday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and two finals on Tuesday. You need to buy a birthday present for Granny, your significant other needs some space and your acne is starting up again.
Yes, finals week can make you freak out.
There are plenty of students stressing about studying ÷ not to mention holiday shopping ÷ during finals week, but there are several ways people can reduce or eliminate their stress.
"The first thing about finals is to be prepared," said Jill Grassman, a mental health clinician for Counseling and Psychological Services. "If a student hasn't been studying all semester and then here comes finals, then that's a huge stress. Studying throughout the semester to be prepared is number one."
For those who don't have the option to go back in time and study throughout the semester ÷ and we all could think of better things to do if we could go back in time ÷ there are ways to do heavy studying while maintaining a reasonable level of sanity.
Although it's finals time, don't change your routine of eating and sleeping regularly. Students still need food and sleep to function and to lift their books to eye level.
Stress is a natural part of life that all people deal with, but problems start when people don't know how to react to stress, Grassman said.
"Some people react to stress with irritability and anger. To those people I recommend get more exercise. Take deep breaths and think about your response before you respond. Other people isolate during stressful times. For those people ,I suggest that they talk to a friend, teacher or family member," she said.
Grassman suggests reducing or completely eliminating alcohol intake as one of her keys to excel during finals.
"Obviously, recreational drugs don't help. Be sure you get enough sleep, don't stay up all night studying. It's best not to study until the last minute, because that just raises stress and anxiety levels," she said.
For freshmen, there is the added pressure of not knowing what to expect from their first final exams.
"It's the first final exam for me in America. There are a lot of differences in style and technique in the exams between here and Hong Kong," said pre-nursing freshman Sam Chau. "The main thing I can do to reduce stress is to smoke cigarettes or play video games."
If studying all day is a requirement, CAPS director Ken Marsh has suggestions about how to study.
"It may be too late to read everything you were supposed to read in each class. But write down all that you should have done, and break it down into one-hour chunks. This way, with small pieces done here and there throughout the day, you can see yourself making progress as you do each piece," he said.
And what about the sweet, sweet allure of caffeine? Well, the experts say that students shouldn't rely on it ÷ but don't tell that to chemistry freshman Flora Shah.
"I'll have a lot of caffeine, which may not be a good way to reduce stress, but it works to keep me studying," she said. "I'll be stressed, but I'll probably just take breaks and make sure to get my mind off finals sometimes."
For many, it seems the studying marathon has already commenced.
In the Main Library's Information Commons this week, there has been an influx of people fighting for a limited number of computers.
"We have resorted to opening up our electronic library education center ÷ and even that fills up. And I'm told from our extended hours crew that room has been full until 2 a.m. We've never seen anything like that before," said librarian Robert Mitchell.
Relief for those students stressed during finals comes in many forms. Campus Health seems to be the center for stress relief during finals, with CAPS offering free 10-minute walk-in counseling sessions everyday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To schedule a longer appointment, call 621-3334.
Campus Health is also offering massages Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Unfortunately, they aren't free. Call 621-6497.
The Main Library will be open 24 hours a day throughout finals week, for a change of scenery during your study time. The Student Recreation Center, 1400 E. Sixth St., is also open until 10 p.m. during finals week.And finally, the last day for fall tutoring is Dec. 12 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Bear Down Gym, Room 103.
But you can still make your friends tutor you throughout finals week.
Considering that finals can be a stressful time, the Wildcat asked a handful of students, "What do you do to relieve stress during finals?"
"Generally, I watch TV. I don't generally study."
"Play golf. I just started in July. I usually play at Oro Valley Country Club; my fiancŽ's father has a membership."
