Buffs Q&A with the dean of students: Finals prep
With finals just around the corner, I sat down with Ava Altenbern, a senior studying biochemistry and art history in Arts & Sciences, Olivia McKeen, a senior studying marketing in Leeds, and Chloe Wolff De Grivel Perrigny, a first-year student studying computer science in Engineering. We had a great conversation about how to manage stress around finals, advice to help you prepare and ways to celebrate once the semester is over.
Here are some takeaways from our conversation and resources to help you get ready for finals.
Q: What are some ways that you manage your stress around finals time?
Ava: Around finals time, I usually try to keep a consistent schedule and a clean house. I've learned that if I start to deviate from my normal routine, it's harder for me to get back on track when finals are over. Also, keeping a schedule that I know I'm comfortable with helps me organize and prioritize what classes I need to study most for.
Olivia: Throughout the semester—and it really helps during finals week—I get the academic things out of the way Monday through Thursday. Then I give Friday through Sunday to family and friend time. That way I’m able to balance my time. It helps with my mental health too because the weekend is then a reset for me. I might brush up on materials during finals week based on when the exam is, but I set aside the days that are going to be my academic days and the days that are going to be dedicated to my personal life and the important relationships that come from that.
Q: It sounds like you have dedicated focus on certain areas. Can you talk more about how that helps?
Ava: For me, time management begins with figuring out how long each assignment will take and organizing a plan. I will usually take a day to go through each of my classes and break down exactly what needs to be studied. This is also incredibly helpful if professors make a list of learning goals that are directly reflected on tests. From there I will usually tackle a subject each day.
Olivia: It helps because I’ve found that you can’t really multitask. When I dedicate a certain amount of time to school, it feels a lot less overwhelming. I’m also a visual person, so I have my Google calendar that has when school is, when my meetings are and when work is. I also have a planner to get everything I need to do out of my head. Putting it on paper helps so much because then you realize the stress going on internally really isn’t that bad. It’s stress relieving to go through and cross things off the list that you’ve done.
Q: What are some of the activities you participate in to destress?
Ava: To relax, I usually enjoy playing guitar or cooking! I love activities that I can do in the comfort of my home after a long day. Cooking may sometimes make a mess, but I find that stress cleaning clears my head if I'm feeling overwhelmed.
Olivia: I plan things in advance to look forward to. I might plan a weekend trip up to the mountains or a road trip with my friends, and that just keeps me going through the week. It helps me focus my in-the-moment time on school and stops me from feeling like I’m in a downward spiral of academic stress.
I also like doing things that are rewarding for me. Like yoga or setting aside time for those personal relationships. Because if you don’t nurture those, you’re really going to struggle and isolate yourself during finals week. It’s really important to make sure you’re balancing your time.
Chloe: To destress, I take a walk outside and, if possible, I try to distract myself with activities I enjoy like listening to music, watching a movie or going out with my friends.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do when finals are over? How do you celebrate that accomplishment?
Ava: When finals are over, I usually spend time cleaning my house and doing some self-care to feel refreshed. My favorite activities usually teeter between a high intensity workout like Muay Thai or kickboxing and some calming drawing or painting. I also will from time to time visit family outside of Boulder to get away from school and work for a weekend.
Chloe: My favorite thing to do when exams are over is to do nothing. I enjoy just being able to relax in my room with no obligations.
Q: Do you have any advice for other students that might be dealing with stress around finals?
Ava: If you like studying with other students, make sure to get some time to yourself to take care of your mind and body. On the flipside, if you like studying alone, try to relax by having fun with a small group of friends. I always find that if I overbook myself with group or solo plans, it's helpful to get the opposite when I'm trying to destress. Also make sure to have your house ready with healthy foods and snacks! Finals time is busy enough without having to take time for grocery shopping.
Olivia: Take advantage of the events going on around campus. They were so helpful to decompress when I was a freshman on campus. There was goat yoga, mental health nights and Leeds Student Government specifically puts a mental wellness week before finals. My piece of advice is to take advantage of those campus events because our tuition is going towards it. We have all these resources available to us and it’s a great way to meet people or decompress while still studying.
Chloe: My advice is to be organized and start studying early, create a study plan and map out the topics you struggle with the most. I would also add that if you get stuck on a subject or topic, try studying something else and then come back to it later.
Learn about finals events, resources and more at colorado.edu/finals.