It is absolutely crazy to think that we are finally on the home stretch to the end of the school year.
We only have a matter of weeks before finals begin and we can escape the routine of classes and studying.
So it is pretty safe to say that the end of the year stress is in full swing by now for a lot of students.
That being said, I think it is important to take the time to learn how to manage the stress that one may be under.
I believe that knowing how to manage your stress, especially during finals week, can make all the difference.
It can have a huge effect on your grades, happiness and overall well-being.
As college students, I think it is easy for us to completely forget about our mental health while we are engulfed in classes and assignments all the time.
We can sometimes forget just how important our mental state can be when it comes to performing academic tasks and just simply being happy.
It is a lot easier to feel like you are one all-nighter away from pulling all of your hair out if you disregard the fact that the way you treat your mind will affect the work that you are constantly pumping out.
There is nothing more discouraging than putting in hours of work while you should be sleeping and receiving a poor grade.
It can make you feel defeated and as if all of your work was for nothing.
So my first point is that we are human. Our brains need rest and care in order to perform at the rate that we would like them to.
I think we are all guilty of trying to power through an assignment until the sun comes up, but we forget that doing so can have a negative effect both on the grade we receive and on our mental health. A tired brain tends to be a sad brain, in my experience.
It is crucial to learn your own limit. Studying more effectively can make all the difference.
To avoid stress, it is much easier to study in small time frames rather than trying to fit an entire semester’s worth of knowledge into a 12-hour study session.
Your brain will also retain more information for a longer amount of time that way.
We need to remember that our brains aren’t superheroes no matter how much we need them to be sometimes.
Our minds also need care. At the end of the day, it just isn’t effective to make your brain work overtime in order to perform well on assignments and exams.
Self-care is one of the most important things you can do to maintain a good mental health.
Sitting down with a book that is not required for a class and just reading can allow you to forget about the stress that you are bound to be under.
Lastly, just realize that all the hard work will be worth it.
HARLEE BOEHM
