Finals week is arguably one of the most stressful times for a college student. It is a time when college students everywhere not only worry about getting good grades, but doing so with the least amount of stress. Studies have shown that finals week is a time when college student’s mental and emotional distress are at their highest. The idea of finals being the make or break of students’ GPA causes college students to stress more than many can handle. Students have been expressing dissatisfaction towards professors who are assigning what students find to be excessive work before finals week. This makes it even more stressful to productively study for finals and finish final essays and projects.
“Certain teachers don’t consider that we are extremely busy putting in as much effort in other classes as we are in their own. They assume that their class is the only class we’re taking,” said freshman Christy Martinez.
The pressure of dedicating time to studying or working on homework for one particular class causes students to stress over finding a balance in managing all of their classes.
Students argue that professors should be considerate towards the preparation and time students need to divide among their finals in other classes. Although some students may feel that many professors aren’t understanding of these circumstances, there are some professors who are taking measures to keep stress to a minimum for students during finals.
“Even if, as teachers, we make a decision that students wouldn’t make, we can still better understand what our students are going through and offer them reasoned explanations about our classroom decisions. Talk to your students. Let them reflect about the pace of your course, the assignments; take their feedback into consideration,” said Writing Studies and Composition Professor Andrea Efythmiou.
If professors were to prepare a final that took other course finals into consideration, students expressed that their stress levels would not be as high and overwhelming.
There are on-campus resources to also help provide support for students who stress during finals. The Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, a common area for students to study, changes their hours during finals to be accommodating for students who need more time to study.
Hofstra also offers the University Tutorial Program to provide a quality tutoring service for undergraduate students throughout the year – and especially during finals. Along with educational support, Hofstra offers the Student Counseling Services to provide quality mental health interventions for students to assist with stress during finals.
Students often feel that they have to resort to sleepless nights of studying and putting more stress on themselves than needed during finals, while others say it doesn’t have to be this way. “Over my years at Hofstra, I learned it’s best to turn off your phone when studying, to prioritize sleep, to not procrastinate, to eat nutritiously, to exercise when stressed and to take advantage of the resources that are around you,” said Paul Abrudescua, a senior health science major.