Oh Sheesh, It's Finals Time!

[Pyromancer999]

So, I have finals starting tomorrow. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, since it means that it will mean the end of the semester.

However, I'm getting super-tense. A lot of my finals are heavily weighted. I have a paper and final due at the same time tomorrow, with the combined weight equaling over half my final grade in the class. A few days after, I have another final that's exactly 50% of my grade in the form of a 5 minute presentation and short write-up.

I don't know why it's happening now, but it's making me feel really tense, and I can't concentrate.

So, does anyone know good ways to kick off finals stress and just buckle down and work/study?

[Moriwen]

I don't know if this works for anyone else, but I tell myself when I'm allowed to stress about which. Like literally, "I'll stress about final X until Tuesday at 2, then I'm switching to stressing about final Y. Then I'll take both of them on Thursday morning, so I'll take that afternoon off from stressing, then I'll stress about final Z until I take it Wednesday, then I'm done."

Otherwise, my best advice is to carry some work around with you, and every time you start to feel stressed do a practice problem/make a flashcard/run through your presentation/whatever. And then you feel really on top of things and responsible and less stressed.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Pyromancer999
A few days after, I have another final that's exactly 50% of my grade in the form of a 5 minute presentation and short write-up.

The first part of my dissertation defense involved a public seminar, in which I had to distill years of research into a twenty-minute talk. And I'm really not good at public speaking. It's one thing I've always dreaded.

I was...very tense.

What I did was to start talking. Not off-the-cuff in front of everyone, but several days beforehand: in the shower, in the car, anywhere I could. I started working out phrases, sentences, pathways of progression that sounded natural when spoken aloud. I built my seminar talk line by line--and in the process, I accustomed my mind and voice to presenting that information aloud.

The morning of my defense, I wrote up a script based on what I'd said, and had that on the podium as I went through my slides. No dry run; it was showtime and I had one shot at it. I hardly remember looking at my notes; I just talked.

Later, much later, my advisor told me it was one of the best defense presentations he'd ever seen. Forcing myself to start talking, days and days beforehand, made a huge difference to the quality of my presentation, and gave me some much-needed confidence when I walked into the room.

.

[Pyromancer999]

I don't know if this works for anyone else, but I tell myself when I'm allowed to stress about which. Like literally, "I'll stress about final X until Tuesday at 2, then I'm switching to stressing about final Y. Then I'll take both of them on Thursday morning, so I'll take that afternoon off from stressing, then I'll stress about final Z until I take it Wednesday, then I'm done."

Seems like a good tactic.


Otherwise, my best advice is to carry some work around with you, and every time you start to feel stressed do a practice problem/make a flashcard/run through your presentation/whatever. And then you feel really on top of things and responsible and less stressed.
Overall, it doesn't matter how good you actually present something for the class I'm presenting for. The teacher for the presentation grades mainly on whether or not he likes your topic. The presentations already started, and one person, despite getting several facts wrong on her topic and not coming to a conclusion on the issue she was presenting on. So I'm worried whether or not I chose right, although practicing definitely will help some.

As for the paper/test combo for tomorrow, I can't prepare at all. There's not much actual course material. It's mainly whether or not he likes how you write something, and I don't even know what the test is like because all he's done when asked about the test format is wink and say it's a secret. So I can never know if I'm preparing properly or not.

[Mauve Shirt]

Man, I just have to write and submit a bunch of essays this week for my final. I'm not nearly stressed out enough.

[Pyromancer999]

Man, I just have to write and submit a bunch of essays this week for my final. I'm not nearly stressed out enough.

Trade?:smallsmile:

[AtlanteanTroll]

Let me see. I have to organize an art show for art history, write a 15+ page essay for my freshman seminar, and then I have two sitting exams. One for Economics and one for Japanese.

Japanese is what I'm most worried about, to be honest. The exam spans several days and there are two different speaking portions and one 2 hour long writing portion.

Merp.

[Amidus Drexel]

I've got a bunch of exams. Thankfully I can do two of them on my own time, and the other four are on two different days, with plenty of time in between to study.

I'm so thankful that the only early-morning one I have is the one that isn't cumulative.

Edit: As for actually answering the OP's question - caffeine and gum. Keeps me awake and on-task enough to actually study.

[Randomguy]

I have absolutely no idea how to buckle down and work and study. That's why I'm here now instead of preparing for the exam I have tomorrow or finishing off that darn design portfolio that's worth a good chunk of my mark. I planned on doing that yesterday and studying for Calc today.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH SILENT SCREAMS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

Ah well, I'm sure I'll manage. I did well enough on my first exam, this friday, and that was worth 50% of my grade. It did kind of melt my brain afterwards for a few hours.

[noparlpf]

I made sure not to hand in the last Stats homework assignment at the last class so I'd have to go in today for the review session. Otherwise I'm an awful studier. Finals week sucks.

[Tylorious]

I don't know if this works for anyone else, but I tell myself when I'm allowed to stress about which. Like literally, "I'll stress about final X until Tuesday at 2, then I'm switching to stressing about final Y. Then I'll take both of them on Thursday morning, so I'll take that afternoon off from stressing, then I'll stress about final Z until I take it Wednesday, then I'm done."

Otherwise, my best advice is to carry some work around with you, and every time you start to feel stressed do a practice problem/make a flashcard/run through your presentation/whatever. And then you feel really on top of things and responsible and less stressed.

This is called stress management and is an extremely healthy way of dealing with stress.

[Finlam]

http://cdn.iwastesomuchtime.com/1272013185253.gif

[Socratov]

For this, I will channel Iroh form Avatar: The last Airbender.

Drink a cup of tea. If a cup of tea can't fix it, it wasn't meant to be fixed anyway.

(and if one cup doesn't fix it, have some more)

[Knaight]

I'm on a bit of an odd schedule (it varies by college/university), and am now done with finals*. Stressing out about whichever one is next out of the list that are actually worrying (that is to say, not the one for the class where you consider 95% bombing a test) only pretty much kept things under control. It also helps that I broke my finals studying up over about a week beforehand, and took the time to relax over stuff.

Incidentally, good luck with your finals everyone.

*I'll admit to some temptation to adding the word "suckers" to this sentence.

[noparlpf]

8:30 PM exam tonight, oh boy. :smalleek: