Finals week has finally crept up from behind the brief reprieve of Thanksgiving break. Students everywhere on campus are scrambling to finish last-minute assignments and studying as hard as possible to keep those GPAs safe.
It’s easy for any student to get overwhelmed as the environment of busyness and slight anxiety envelops everyone, but do not fear. You’re not alone. Not only is everyone on campus going through the very same thing you are, there’s also people on campus who are willing to help you through the final stages of this semester.
This past week we sat down with Donna Gray in the Center for Student Development to ask how students are supported during this late-in-the-semester, stress-filled time. Here are a few key tips she shared with us.
1. It’s not too late.
“First off, it’s not too late,” says Donna Gray, Trevecca’s associate director of academic services. “We still have tutoring. Some tutors will continue to offer review group sessions for some of the classes through finals week.”
2. Test anxiety? Not sure if your study habits are actually helping?
Gray can help with that, too. “If students would like, we also have some one-on-one consultations on study habits, and we offer academic coaches, too,” she says. “We are open to have some test prep or talk about test anxiety with students who reach out for that sort of thing.”
3. So, writing’s not your thing.
Maybe your final is a paper, not a test. Gray says the Center for Student Development can help with that, too. “We have our writing tutors, from 7 to 10 p.m., throughout the week,” she says. “There’s people available, not all the time, but some people are here to review papers, help out or simply give feedback.” But to be safe—and ensure you get the help you need—make an appointment. “People with appointments are given preference over walk-ins. We don’t want 10 people to just show up all at once,” says Gray.
4. You have time for this.
We know what you’re thinking, but getting a tutor doesn’t take long. Don’t miss this opportunity because of time concerns. “The process of getting a tutor is that students have to fill out a tutor request card, and then I try to get the student and the tutor connected within 24 hours,” says Gray. “I don’t want there to be a barrier with the request card either, so it’s OK for students to email me asking for a tutor.
“Sometimes if a tutor is available right away, then they can meet right then and there,” Gray continues. “Otherwise it just depends on when the tutor is available, but you are connected with them within a day.”
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
“People like the idea that they can do it on their own,” Gray says. “Sometimes there is also a stigma attached to getting help and there shouldn’t be. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and it just makes good sense when we have a weak area to ask for help. Even our tutors have tutors.”
Students can also expect for more services to be offered next semester.
“In the future we want to collaborate more with the library and have some of our writing tutors over there in the library,” says Gray. “Probably next semester, too, we’d like to have some food and drinks up here in the Bud Robinson building for people to drop-in and use this space to study and review.”
Gray had a few final tips for you to keep in mind while you study and prepare for finals.
“Make sure to do more than just memorize information, and that you are processing it,” she says. “Gather your studying materials beforehand and have it handy. Don’t just read your information, become an active learner.”
“Don’t give up. Have a plan,” Gray continues. “Make a schedule even on finals week with intentional studying time. Keep yourself accountable.”
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