Finals Advice from West Seniors

With finals rolling around, students may find themselves busier and more tired and suddenly staring five tests in the face. Especially for sophomores, who haven’t experienced a finals week quite like this, it can be intimidating. Trying to balance having your entire academic career on a laptop and staying social can be tough, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. A new semester means opportunity: new friends, new teachers, and new classes. You might just find your passion in one of your new classes. All that’s left between then and now is to take your finals. To guide you there, here is some insight from two seniors, Ava Burchell and Ryan Hartnett. Hartnett is the Class Council President of the Class of 2021. These two students have two years’ worth of finals experience under their belts and know a thing or two about managing your wellbeing during this time.

We asked: What are your typical feelings surrounding finals week?

Ava answered: I feel nervous and overwhelmed during finals week. It scares me how my grade depends on a singular test.

Ryan answered: My typical feelings surrounding finals week are mostly stress but a bit of excitement as I’m in the homestretch of the semester.

We asked: What do you do about those feelings?

Ava answered: I listen to music and go to sleep early to calm myself.

Ryan answered: Typically, what I do about these feelings is to just relax and breathe for a few minutes. I just try to remember that everything is going to be okay and these stressful feelings are only temporary.

We asked: How do YOU study for finals?

Ava answered: I study for finals by looking over my notes and watching videos.

Ryan answered: I typically study for finals by taking it one day at a time and not to overwhelm myself with all my class materials. I tend to spend the most time on the subjects I struggle the most with while I spend the least amount of time on the subjects that I excel at.

We asked: What is your best piece of advice on how students can prepare for finals?

Ava answered: Sometimes, when you feel overwhelmed, just chill out and get yourself into a good headspace. You can literally wing it, but with a good mentality you should do pretty well.

Ryan answered: My best piece of advice for how students can prepare for finals would be to use your time wisely and not get too distracted by technology or other people. I’d also recommend chatting and reviewing content with your fellow classmates to get a better understanding of some of the topics that may be on your final exams.