In every adventure tale, the final battle is the hardest. Not only is the hero exhausted from all of his or her other trials and tribulations, the final battle will be the culmination of all that she or he has learned.
Finals week, dear hero, marks just such a battle in your own tale. It is the one remaining obstacle between you and freedom. But how do you muster the strength to get through?
“Reward yourself,” said sophomore Chaimaa Azizbi, a business major. “Every single night at 10 p.m., me and a group of friends have family dinner at The Grill. We all work like crazy to get done in time.”
Gerina Auguste, a junior and a double major in English and primary education, takes the reward strategy to a whole new level.
“I get something pierced or I get a tattoo,” Auguste said. “I just hope that experience is more painful than the final.”
If our professors are a model of success, rewarding yourself must be a good strategy. Kathryn Shields, assistant professor of art history, remembers using a similar method when she was a student.
“If I achieved some kind of goal … then it would be time for a little reward,” Shields said. “A short bike ride, trip to Starbucks or some special chocolate. It’s like a mental game in some ways. You have to do the work before you get the reward.”
Diya Abdo, assistant professor of English, motivates herself in the same way, even now.
“If I grade a batch of papers, I indulge myself in a guilty pleasure, like watching America’s Next Top Model or Project Runway,” Abdo said.
Benny Rosenstein, a junior and a double major in English and women studies, has another tactic.
“I scare myself into focusing,” Rosenstein said. “I literally go to the mirror and tough talk myself.”
We are all different, and the strategies that save one person might do nothing for another.
“Learn what works for you” said senior Esta Broderick, a English major who works in the Learning Commons.
For more help with studying, you can always make an appointment with a Learning Commons tutor.
“If you’re stuck or don’t know what your best learning strategy is, come on up (to the Learning Commons),” Broderick said.
Some suggestions are common sense, but sometimes we forget the fundamentals during the times we need them most.
“Good food and some exercise help your body refuel and keep germs from taking over when you get run down,” said Director of Student Health Helen Rice.
Many students also stress the importance of exercise in one form or another.
“I dance as much as possible,” said Azizbi. “I like to choreograph random hip-hop pieces.”
Delphine Uwase, a sophomore and an economics major, recommends taking a walk to clear your head. Uwase also uses varying musical genres for different types of homework.
“Gospel motivates me, classical helps me stay calm and focused, and really fast dance music gets me going,” Uwase said.
There are as many strategies for motivation and stress management as there are people in the world. Stress can motivate us and help us perform better, if we manage it properly. Remember: do not let stress manage you.
“Figure out what works for you,” said Director of Counseling Gaither Terrell. “Try lots of things. Organize your tasks, make a list, let go of everything that is non-essential.”
If you have not figured out strategies that work for you, try one of these on for size. Stress is something we will all have to deal with throughout our lives and creating a repertoire of ways to handle it will make every battle that much easier to win. Godspeed!