This Assignment was part of a final project. This required a 700-900 word assignment that covered a major story or issue taking place in Lawrence. The issue I chose was Finals week, and all of the responsibilities students and professors have in the final weeks of the spring semester.
Harrison Triplett
Professor Gaston
JMC 304
28 April 2023
Students & Professors at KU Manage the Most Stressful Time of the Year……. Finals Week
As KU students begin to wrap up the 2023 spring semester, they are encountered with the most daunting week of the year.
Finals week. Students who typically have anywhere between four and six classes are at the “wrap-up” stage of these classes. This requires relentless studying for both final exams and projects, which can add up to monstrous numbers of hours spent studying, including students at Princeton, who claimed to study 12.5 hours per day during finals week.
KU Sophomore Jonathan McGeeney said, “there is a different level of stress for students during this time. While that much is expected, students understand that’s just how the end of the semester operates, so the real task is managing how you de-stress, making sure you still get stuff done while also not burning out.”
Other major tasks separate students from their last week of studying at college and being on summer vacation. Including planning out their primary agenda, and tasks for the summer, and moving out all their belongings from their Lawrence residence for the summer. Both carry a decent amount of stress for KU students as they scramble to balance all three major responsibilities.
McGeeney said, “My major tasks besides finals do include a bit of moving and setting up my schedule for work and how I plan to go about my summer. I would like to stay busy, but it’s pretty hard to get a clear idea of that agenda when I still have school to take care of first.”
Finals week is very stressful, with critical and large tasks for students to take care of. These tasks also require students to find ways to manage their high-stress levels. “Usually, the best way to manage my stress during this time is to fully understand what I need to do and when. Setting a time frame is paramount. Once that is done, I make sure I allocate different days or times to take breaks so I can be refreshed and motivated to get work done the next day. Finding your balance is very beneficial, in my opinion,” McGeeney said.
Students have a wide variety of ways to cope with the stress of finals week, and while there is no one correct answer on how to manage stress, there are several recommendations provided by top experts. Some of these examples from the CDC include: “Exercise, get plenty of sleep, give yourself a break, take deep breaths, avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, and substance use, take to others about some of your concerns or stress levels.”
Regarding studying for finals, most students have their methods to close out the semester’s work. There have also been several colleges that have created pages on their websites with several tips on how to have a successful finals week. This includes the University of Wisconsin.
Whose top recommendations include: “Get organized by creating dates for each assignment, identify goals for each exam, make an oasis and decompress, change the scene in which you study, and remember you aren’t alone.”
As tough as finals week gets for students, they are not the only people hit hard by finals week. Professors and TAs have got a significant workload themselves. This includes grading all the work leading up to finals, grading the finals themselves, having as wide-open a schedule as possible for students who have questions, and several other tasks. However, professors and TAs with lots of experience as both students and professors have a fair amount of advice for students based on their past and current experiences.
KU Political Science TA Asaf Day said, “I believe that the best way to manage students’ high stress level is going over the components of the upcoming assignments in detail to demonstrate to them that they are not so scary. Furthermore, creating an environment where any question can be asked concerning the semester’s final assignments and exam is legitimate and even encouraged. Aside from an increased workload due to the grading of the assignments, I do experience a higher rate of emails from students inquiring about the exam and essays and more attendance during office hours.
In addition to the students and professors on campus, the library setting changes drastically during finals week. Libraries are always a very busy setting; however, finals week is a whole different level. Anschutz Library on the KU campus will see all three floors packed with students hard at work during finals week. With all outlets being used, books and papers spread across the desks, and all study group rooms rented out.
There is no doubt that finals week presents a lot of stress and anxiety with all of the critical tasks that KU students must complete that can determine their future. However, this issue brings many people together as they share these tasks and the techniques to complete the school semester.
Sources:
https://thetab.com/us/nyu/2017/04/17/many-hours-nyu-students-spend-studying-finals-9077
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html
Interviewees:
Jonathan McGeeney (KU Student – jonathanmcgeeney@ku.edu)
Asaf Day (KU Political Science TA – asafday@ku.edu)
Harrison Triplett 