In May, students prepare for final exams, projects, and papers. In these times, students will rush and struggle to keep up with last-minute assignments for the semester. With finals on the horizon, students share their different study methods, feelings about finals, and what they do to relieve potential stress.

There are many tactics that students use to retain information for upcoming exams. Most students, like Carly Hoffmann, create flashcards or use mnemonic devices to help them remember terms that seem impossible to memorize.

“Making flashcards of key terms really helps me study, so I’d say that’s honestly my favorite studying method,” Hoffmann said.

Hoffmann is not the only fan of this studying method. Student Rashaad Couloote also finds joy in creating flashcards for courses.

“I also enjoy flash cards. You can make them into a fun game and that really helps me remember,” said Couloote. 

Another important aspect of studying is location. While some students prefer working alone in the comfort of their homes, others prefer large study groups in public places. 

For many students, finals week can be a stressful time. Students, like Emma Simone, are confident about their finals.

“I’m feeling quite positive about finals. I'm a little nervous, but I’m sure I’ll do great,” said Simone. “To relieve my stress prior to final exams, I like to reread and review my notes just to double-check and make sure I really understand.”

This semester, students are optimistic about their finals. One reason is that many students have projects instead of traditional exams.

“I’m feeling pretty calm. I’m an art major [and] all my final exams are project-based, so I’m not quite nervous,” said Kayla Dempssey. 

While finals can trigger stress, a fun summer break with beautiful weather is the reward for completion. Students plan to take advantage of their free time after exams.

 “After finals, I plan on spending more time with my friends,”  said Dempssey. 

Many students like to hang out with friends after hours of studying and testing. Like Dempssey, Simone also plans to spend time with her friends.

“After exams, my friends and I [will] hang out, or I [will] binge-watch movies,” said Simone.

Finals week can be rather hectic, especially when one has projects, papers, and exams for multiple courses. While this can be challenging, the Cougar’s Byte team wishes good luck to those going through finals. 

Good luck, Cougars!