Finals, Fear, and Festivities

Across campus, the student body reports that the holidays don’t soothe the stress of finals—they amplify it. As first-semester finals rapidly approach, students struggle with motivation as a much-needed break awaits them.

The busiest time of year arrives quickly. The stress of studying for finals, dealing with a lack of motivation, and preparing for major holidays all collide at once. With so much happening toward the end of the semester, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and unsure how to spend your time.

“I feel that the holidays do stress me out more when it comes to studying because as the holidays progress, the closer we get to taking finals. So I guess it’s not so much the holidays that stress me out, but just that important tests and assignments are due then. I sometimes struggle to balance my schoolwork with celebrating the holiday season, which also does not help my case,” stated freshman Olivia Williams.

For some students, the holidays can increase their motivation to study for finals. While the approaching break also means finals are near, sometimes that anticipation alone is enough to keep students going.

“The holidays make me more motivated to study. Of course, there are finals to study for, but knowing that I have a break coming up keeps me from procrastinating. I make sure to lock in during the last few weeks because I want to feel accomplished and well deserving of a break,” explained Williams.

The end of the year is a common time for many students to feel burnt out. Burnout can be harmful, but for many, the holidays help them cope.

“I get kind of burnt out during the year, but when I know there’s a break ahead, I push through harder. It sometimes stresses me out, but knowing I have a break ahead helps,” sophomore Rylee Cox noted.

Learning how to balance time and prioritize responsibilities is crucial during busy seasons. For many students, hobbies are often put aside to make time for studying.

Senior Leyna Gibson explained, “I usually cope by trying to break my tasks up into pieces I can handle and balancing work with rewards like free time or reading a book.”

For some students, the stress of finals affects how they spend their time leading up to the holidays. Stress can also change their excitement about the upcoming break.

“I try to keep myself in a place where I can mentally do work. I don’t always succeed, and sometimes I end up doing work in a haze of stress because it’s due tomorrow, but I do my best,” commented Gibson.

Overall, the stress of finals and the holidays contributes to the burnout many students feel. This burnout is serious and often affects how students perform on their end-of-year finals.

“By the end of the year, I feel exhausted and unmotivated to study or take my time on tests,” stated freshman Harry Evenson. “This affects how I do on the most important tests of the year.”