The sun is shining on Ashland University and the school year is at the beginning of its end.

Summer is approaching and so is cramming for finals.

A Twitter poll was taken and people were asked on a scale from one to “I’d rather rip my arm off” how stressed are they with their finals and papers.

Nine percent said they would rate themselves between a one to three, twenty-nine percent said between four and seven, eighteen percent said between eight to ten, and forty-four said they would rather rip their arm off.

Dr. David McCoy assistant professor of journalism and digital media was asked what he believed were some specific ways students can avoid cramming at the end of the year, his response was, “Students can avoid end of the year cramming by organizing each week during the semester. They should read book chapter and articles when due and take some notes on that reading.  As students draw closer to the semester’s end, they should re-read the notes, study with a peer and generally put in study repetitions to imprint the material into memory.” 

McCoy believes that students are stressing over not only finals and projects but also the change from school to summer.

With leaving their friends, graduation, getting a summer job or internship, or finding their first job after graduation students can become filled with stress.

But do not be alarmed, because there are many ways for students to plan ahead and make finals week a little less stressful.

Students can start out by being organized, study with peers, and taking advantage of faculty office hours to discuss upcoming tests and projects.

“Students should break up work into sections and delegate certain days to each little part to avoid feeling overwhelmed,” Shepherd said, “I wish I took my own advice on this one.”

“Schedule some time for yourself and seek out your professors during their office hours,” McCoy said, “Most students do not do this meeting and faculty are required to hold office hours. Students will find that a one-on-one session with faculty will often clear up problems with difficult concepts.”

To relieve nervous stress, students should get plenty of sleep, go to the gym, eat well, and pace the amount of studying on any one subject.

“As a professor I try to make sure that my students know when papers, projects, and presentations are due,” McCoy said, “I give repeat messages to them via Blackboard announcements and at the start of every class. I often reserve the back end of a class for study/lab work/consultation with me.”.

The Ashland University’s Advisors were asked what their tips were regarding final exams and they said to “always arrive early and take a moment to relax and reduce anxiety, chewing on gum or mints can help with memory, take a moment to review the entire exam and then start with the area on the test you feel most confident.”

“Start your studying now and do a little each day to avoid cramming,” Kristina Cunningham Professional Academic Advisor for the College of Education and Psychology said, “Go into the exam with positive energy and confidence and make sure you are getting plenty of sleep as well. You got this!”

“Don’t stress out too hard, worrying about inevitable deadlines doesn’t help you,” Shepherd said, “Remain positive and grind through the rest of this week.”