Finals week is rapidly approaching as the fall semester is nearing its end. Proper organization and time management may help reduce a student’s stress during what can be a hectic time.

Resources are available to assist students in many subjects. The campus library is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday and is closed Sunday.

In need of help with a thesis or research paper? The Learning Center has tutors available in a number of subjects and languages and is as a quiet place to study.

Tutoring appointments are available in 30-minute time slots with no more than two per week, unless otherwise noted by staff.

“During finals week, keep focused and prepare what is necessary, but remember to allow yourself mental breaks to give the brain a chance to rest,” English Professor Vita Watkins said.

Watkins also suggests methods to assist in disconnecting. “Take a walk, listen to calming music, or turn on some mundane television. Find anything that will give a pause to the difficult task of studying. After an hour’s break, you should be ready to hit the books again.” Watkins said.

Student Ana Petrosyan said she has difficult classes and consecutive finals which means less study time. In order to stay on top of things, she keeps a schedule in an effort to stay on track.

“I itemize my things in a to-do list and prioritize,” Petrosyan said. “I take diligent notes and read my books throughout the semester then I review on Moodle powerpoints.”

Cyrus Yu, an international student from China, said she compares notes with classmates to make sure she hasn’t missed anything and then crams right before her exam.

“My long-term memory isn’t that good so it’s best if I study the night or morning before a test and rely on my short term memory,” Yu said.

Professor John William Stinde said he is not alone is the theory that students should embrace stressful situations and finds it can be advantageous in the long run.

“The stress is not the problem, but rather how we channel our response to it,” Stinde said.

“As a society we generally run from stress and try to avoid it. However, could our ancestors have survived without stress? My better students generally make a friend of stress and use it to develop their study and life plans,” she added.

Students have many different approaches to preparing for their final exams and no specific way is necessarily correct.

It’s about finding what works for the individual, but the important part is having a plan.