The end of the academic year can be both exciting and stressful for students as they approach finals and the summer semester. Students may be suffering from test anxiety, mental burnout, and other stress-related hardships in the coming weeks, but by taking preemptive steps, students can better prepare themselves for the end of the semester. These are a few of the things I do to make the end of the school year manageable and prepare for the summer.

One of the best ways to prepare for finals is to make an appointment with a tutor in the Learning Center. Free tutoring is a great resource offered at Piedmont, if you’re a Piedmont student, you can get help in any subject you need on campus with no extra cost. Studying material and getting help from tutors makes gearing up for finals a lot easier; studying with students who understand the material better than you makes the whole process so much less stressful.  

This semester, I found to-do lists were helpful when it came to organizing all my thoughts. College gets busy, and making lists allows me to remember all the things that I have to get done. Having everything down on paper helps me get a better sense of how much I have to do,  and also gives me that sense of accomplishment from checking tasks off once I complete them.

At the end of the semester, there’s a lot on everyone’s plate. With everything going on, it’s not hard to forget what day each final is on. Making a schedule for finals week can help you plan your study time, sleep, and find the best way to manage all you need to do.

Remember to take breaks so you don’t suffer burnout. If I study for more than two hours at a time, I start to feel exhausted.  This is one of the many reasons why I participate in CAB stress less events that take place at the end of the semester.

When the semester ends, we’re often too tired to make plans for the rest of the year. Last year, I was burnt out long before summer came. I didn’t want to do anything, which led me to sitting on the couch and not making the most of my time off. Plan what you want to do over the summer now and enjoy it later.

Good luck!