Fear… Stress… Anxiety…Insomnia… That’s what accumulates in a student’s head when the finals come round the corner. Final exams are more like an event full of challenges for a student’s body and mind.

It may or may not eventually be very stressful, but the thought of finals has a stereotypical idea of stress itself. The assumption that “exams are fearful and nerve-wracking” has been carried on since forever. Exam times can be the most stressful for a student; be it high school, college or graduate school. Worrying associated with grades builds up pressure and hampers concentration amongst students these days. With rising competition in and around finals, it is even more strenuous to keep up with the pace. Each student has a different learning capacity, not everybody is a fast learner or is good with numbers. Some students have dreadful thoughts about the subject of math.

Each professor’s approach towards test taking affects the way students perceive their finals. Some allow essay finals, multiple choice tests or group projects. I think that the constant and consistent score from the entire semester should count towards a person’s final score. Regular class work, homework, and assignments should either be a large chunk, or the final grade decider.  Final exams shouldn’t be the major resolute. Cramming a semester’s worth of information into one test and counting it for more than 2/3rds of a student’s grade isn’t the best way to measure how much a student has learned.

The fact is that we- students- know the consequences of failing a final puts an extreme amount of pressure on us. Instead, all the tests and scores should have the same amount of points. By spreading out the exams and allowing each test to be worth the same, students can be relieved of unnecessary stress.

Finals, however, aren’t a complete waste of time; it’s the approach to what a final should accomplish that is completely misconstrued. A final shouldn’t be looked at as the only thing standing in the way of a passing grade. A final should be treated as any other portion of the class, with no particular emphasis and no special week for said exams. Students take classes to immerse themselves in knowledge, not get anxious about one particular exam.

Here are some smart ways to deal with anxiety when the final exams are approaching:

1. Start building up a study guide. Make summaries and jot down points that are important and could be asked on the test. Outline the important information and study with the timeline guide format. Try to reorganize all your notes.

2. Ask questions from your professor and try visiting the tutoring center for extra help. Do not miss classes. Try to attend the review session; it will revise the course and help you replenish all the knowledge you have acquired throughout the semester.

3. Group Study can be helpful. Sharing information and passing study subjects to fellow students can and will make you a better learner. Try teaching your classmates. Learning by teaching works great by reinforcing whatever you have learned.

4. Take help from online testing, quizzes, and flash card learning. That’s an interesting learning method and a little different from the routine monotonous methods of mugging up.

5. Relax, Rest and Take Breaks. Breathe and go out for a stroll. A fresh mind absorbs more information and can retain information better.

Aanchal Tangri from India is pursuing a degree in English at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada.