Students planning ahead for exam time stresses

Some students of the University of Windsor will be reading over their course notes and changing their sleeping patterns because this semester's final examinations are around the corner.

Today marks the last day of classes; final exams begin Wednesday. Students find they must make sacrifices to accommodate additional study time.

“I think that while studying for exams, being healthy kind of goes out the window,” said Jordan Worsell-Collins, a first-year English literature student. “It’s pretty easy to forget to be at least a bit active when you have such a big to do list.”

English major Taylor Campbell said her social life definitely suffers during exam time.

I don't have much time to hang out with friends,” she said. “If I went out I would feel guilty for not studying. I guess it takes some discipline.”

Most students have a class that causes more stress than the others.

“I'm nervous for economics,” said Joshua Anizoba, a business and economics major. “I'm not doing badly in the class, I just need to up my performance.”

Beth Oakley, director of the Student Success Centre, advises students to plan ahead, scheduling time to complete all their end-of-semester assignments.

“If you plan ahead and you prepare, you’ll have less stress,” Oakley said.

It’s advice Campbell said she takes to heart.

“I cope with exam stress by taking breaks from studying often,” Campbell said. “Every once and a while I stop studying to watch some TV and pet my cat.”

The Student Success Centre is located in the lower level of Dillon Hall. Study skill programs will resume in the winter semester, including Skills to Enhance Personal Success (S.T.E.P.S) workshops on such topics as: Test Anxiety, Seeing Your Way to Better Grades, and Taming the Chaos.

Learn more about the program on the centre’s website.

—Samuel Spiering