From One Student to Another: 5 Things to Remember this End-of-Term

Abigail Kneuss ‘22

As big test and final project season comes upon us, I (Abigail Kneuss ‘22) wanted to wish my fellow students good luck and offer a helping hand. I’ve compiled five things that I remind myself of around finals that I’ve learned from a college career full of sudden changes to virtual settings, endless research essays, and countless cups of coffee. Check them out below and best of luck! 💜

Your professors are here for you

It’s important to remember that professors are a resource available to you. They are the experts in the subject after all! Taking advantage of office hours and building rapport with your professors is essential and a huge benefit of attending a small university like Chatham. It will help you go over difficult concepts and shows them that you are taking initiative in your learning and care about the course. Plus, you’re more than likely to have them again for a class in the future so building connections will continue to benefit you!

Time management is essential

Try not to catch yourself saying “I’ll do it tomorrow” during finals season. This can quickly catch up to you and leave you scrambling last minute to study or finish projects. Picking out slots during your week to do particular tasks holds you accountable and gives you a realistic look at what time you have for leisure activities. Plus, if you know exactly when you will be working it allows you to truly relax during breaks. Try to turn your phone and Outlook notifications off so you don’t get distracted during allotted work times. By focusing on one task at a time, it makes it more manageable.

The JKM almost always has the solution

The library is a great space to hunker down and get work done. The study rooms on the third floor are particularly great for a good space to focus. Whether you prefer mornings or late nights, the library works for you. They’re open 7:45 am-11 pm on weekdays, with adjusted hours on weekends (12 pm-11 pm on Sundays and 12 pm-6 pm on Saturdays). It’s also a great space because of how helpful the librarians are! They can help you find databases for your research projects and are the best at finding the niche articles you need! (Plus they have a pretty good study playlist).

Phoning a friend does wonders

It’s true that two minds are greater than one. Getting together with people from your class can help you catch concepts you may have missed or test your knowledge by explaining concepts to them. It’s also great to get peer review on your final projects to make sure that you’re clearly communicating your point and putting the commas in all the right places. Or, you can always phone a friend for a much needed study break (I recommend late night Sheetz runs, but to each their own).

Putting yourself first is important

The most important thing to center this finals season is you! Take care of yourself by staying in tune with your needs. Figure out what learning styles work best for you (our Office of Academic & Accessibility Resources is a huge help in this). It may sound cliché, but make sure to get ample sleep (trust me, no amount of Café Rachel makes up for a sleepless night). If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a step back from your work. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself how much this task will matter in five years to put things into perspective. And make sure to give yourself credit for the hard work that you have put in all semester!

You’ve got this! To view more study tips from past semesters, check out 10 Spring Semester Study Tips, Student-Tested Study Tips, and Five Ways to Ace Your Virtual Exams. And as always, the Office of Academic & Accessibility Resources is here for all of your academic needs.

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