Who doesn’t remember being a freshman, about to take your first set of finals and being absolutely terrified? Everyone has their own horror story to tell about last minute cramming, midnight study sessions, and possibly tearful breakdowns. On a less distressing note, most people also know the beauty of post exam naps, and if they don’t I highly recommend they give it a try.
It was with the stress of those first exams in mind that the upperclassmen have volunteered some of their advice, for those freshmen and students new to Stevenson, in hopes of easing some of those tensions. This advice is not only for exam week but is meant to apply to personal and academic well-being throughout the school year and is broken down as such.
Personal:
“It’s okay to need help, academically and mentally. There is no shame in seeking guidance from those there to support you.” – Morgan LaMonica
“There is no grade that is worth destroying yourself mentally for. Grades are important, but making sure you are mentally sound, physically healthy, and living a balanced life will always take precedence. Never be afraid to ask for help to keep yourself sane.” –Ryder Bott
“Sleep. Pulling all-nighters is not going to help you, they’re only going to hurt you. You won’t be able to pay attention in class or to your homework or during your exam if the only thing you can think about is climbing into bed and sleeping for the first time in 36 hours.” – Kelly Schwager
“VITAMIN C DROPS!!! You can buy them cheap at CVS or grocery store. It is important as the weather begins to cool down and the stress builds to keep your immune system intact. Nothing. I repeat. NOTHING! Is worse than being sick during exams.” – Bailey Rafter
Academic:
“Talk to your professors, dear lord.” – Morgan LaMonica
“Stay organized. Keeping a planner with color coded classes helped me a lot during my time at Stevenson.” – Mychala Snead
“Put your phone down and focus. Even if it’s just for a half hour. Take breaks when you need to. When I study or do homework, I keep my phone on the opposite side of the room so I’m not tempted by it sitting on my desk. If I had it next to me, I know I would never put it down. So, I basically hide it from myself. Out of sight, out of mind. This trick helps me to focus on what I am working on and avoids procrastinating for too long. “- Kelly Schwager
“Take your finals as slow as you can, so much gets piled on us so quickly during finals week and deadlines fly up on us for projects and papers. Keep a note of what you have coming up and mark them off as you do them. Reward yourself with you favorite things as often as possible and take care of yourself during these last few weeks.” – Lanett Bagley
“Study! You don’t think you have to, but there will come a time when you have to study for a class and if you haven’t built any reliable study skills you will be sorry you didn’t.” – Sierra Moore
While all of these quotes hold crucial advice for freshmen and new students the best piece of advice that I received was something I believe most students today forget.
“It’ll get done. It always gets done. You just have to put the work in.” – Kelly Schwager
We all know that in the moment, stress can make exams and grades seem like the end of the world. But I do promise they are not. The world will keep turning. And even if you don’t get the grade you wanted it just shows you what you need to practice more. You will not flunk out of University. You will not die.
This quote might not help students prepare for their finals but reading it made me laugh and I think we all could use some of that this time of the year.
“Jerry isn’t that scary, he won’t actually bite, just give him a granola bar and assure him that yes, he really is a Gryffindor.”– Morgan LaMonica
I hope that some of you found what was collected here useful and comforting (or at the very least amusing). Just know that it will be okay, exams don’t last forever, you can do it. I wish you all the best of luck on your exams and I hope you all enjoy what’s left of the term.