By Catherine Gonzalez
Staff Writer
Finals stress is coming up. Fortunately, many organizations at the College are offering services to help students out.
The Division of Student Affairs will be hosting Cram Jam from 8 p.m. on Monday, May 8, to 1 a.m. on Tuesday, May 9. During Cram Jam, the event rooms in the Brower Student Center (BSC) will be used as study and meditation rooms. This event will provide students the opportunity to relax, prepare for their exams in a quiet environment and win giveaways. Additionally, Traditions will be providing a Late Night Breakfast Menu that night from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The College’s Tutoring Center and Writing Program will be hosting a Write-In Event through Zoom on May 8 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., during which students can get advice from a peer tutor on any stage of their draft. Students can also attend the Tutoring Center’s Drop-In event at the Tutoring Center in Roscoe West Hall on Wednesday, May 10 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for the same purpose. No prior registration is required for either event.
Students at the College shared some advice with The Signal on how best to tackle finals season, starting with checking Canvas imminently and figuring out when each assignment is due for the remainder of the semester.
“A lot of people get bogged down at the end not knowing that they have certain things, so I think just planning ahead and blocking out time to do each thing is really important,” said Luke Fizulich, a junior communications major.
When blocking out time to do assignments, it’s important to plan in accordance with each assignment’s difficulty-level to avoid burning out.
“I feel like when managing your time with doing the more difficult assignments, break them up into smaller pieces, so instead of doing a really difficult assignment in one day, you’re kind of breaking it up over multiple days,” said sophomore psychology major Gia Dinatale.
Students may also benefit from focusing initially on their most confusing content.
“For the more difficult exams where you need to know more concepts, I’d suggest reviewing the concepts that you don’t really understand first, and then reviewing what you already know last,” Dinatale said.
Using a whiteboard to review particularly difficult concepts can make the task less daunting.
“One of my friends will just write things out on a whiteboard and work through anything he doesn’t understand,” said Shiqira Poulson, a junior communications major. “It’s just a matter of working through it on something that’s not necessarily paper. It’s not as permanent, so you don’t feel like you have to get it right the first time.”
When tackling papers, students should craft a solid plan before writing.
“My advice is to start with an outline, find your sources early on, and do your research before you just go in and start your thesis for your paper,” said junior journalism major Lilly Ward.
Students can take a similar approach when working on final projects.
“Trying to get as much of the groundwork laid out for the projects as soon as possible really helps with getting everything done by the day of finals,” Poulson said.
Planning how to study can help students avoid cramming and retention-issues.
“That’s the biggest thing: Do not try to study in five-hour chunks,” said senior mathematics major Patrick Thomas. “Try to study an hour a day for five days because you’re not going to remember anything if you do it the day before.”
Studying can be both more enjoyable and conducive when doing it with peers.
“I think it’s always helpful to study with friends,” said Jackie Wolf, a senior mathematics and secondary education major.
