With finals week just around the corner, many students find it crucial to be in tune with their emotional and physical health to excel to their highest potential in that final stretch. 

But it is common for students to be consumed by stress and anxiety as tests and final projects approach. 

In a 2022 survey based on stress in college by the American Addiction Center, “more than 89% of respondents said they felt stress from exams, and nearly 74% said studying brought them stress.” 

Dr. Laurie M. Wagner, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Health Education and Promotion Program in the School of Health Sciences, said that time management skills are one of the most prominent factors in dealing with finals.

“Waiting until finals week to worry about finals is the first mistake,” she said.

Wagner teaches the Stress: Recognition and Management course at the university. Within the class, one of the assignments has students plan out their semester of assignments and write them down in a planner. Students pick certain dates for steps to complete the assignments, not just the due date.

Professor of Health Sciences Jacob Barkley said a crucial step in excelling during finals week is to take care of one’s body.

“I always kind of prepared for tests almost like athletic events,” he said.

Some examples he provided, such as eating right, sleeping enough and prioritizing movement, can put an individual in a good physical and mental mindset for exam time. 

Additionally, the last step Wagner said he feels is key to a successful end of the semester is to take breaks.

“Something that stimulates your brain … that keeps everything moving around,” Wagner said. 

There are many ways a person can give their brain and body a rest from the chaos of testing material and projects. 

According to Barkley, an easy way to avoid cramming is to quiz students within each lecture.

Doing so will “encourage students to go back and look at the previous week’s material,” he said. 

Wagner said the CARES Center at Kent State can help students with whatever burden they are currently dealing with. 

“We are here to advise you all … Kent State is really a student-first intuition,” Wagner said. 

Barkley said finals are a chance to prove one’s hard work throughout the past few weeks. 

“Look at it more as an opportunity to finish the semester strong,” he said. 

Sarah Petrovich is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].