2008 Woodie Awards
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
As semester winds down, students cram for exams
Erinn Abernathy
Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: Front Page
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Increased levels of caffeine, nicotine fixes and copious amounts of fast food are the essential elements that sustain sleep-deprived students. This combination can mean only one thing. It's finals week.
"Last year I would study right before a final, but I realize that this time around I have to take more time to study, so there will be more studying in advance," Claudia Martinez said.
Martinez, Garden City, said she is doing as much as possible now so she'll be ready for her finals.
Finals are scheduled for Monday, Dec. 11 through Wednesday, Dec. 13. Class schedules determine when students will have their finals. Some may have all their finals in one day, or some will have finals spread throughout the three days.
James Fowler, Dimmit, Texas, says while his finals are scattered, he hopes he won't end up cramming.
"I'm going to try to manage my time better," Fowler said. "Hopefully, I can study for a couple hours each night from here on out."
Rhonda Williams will be balancing two jobs as well as trying to prepare for finals.
"It gets pretty stressful when you have both finals and a job, and it's harder to find extra time to put into the finals," Williams, South Gray, Kan., said.
Some students like David Post, Johnson, Kan., have already taken a final. His final in Criminal Investigation II consisted of 19 pages over the bones in the body and what you tell by looking at the bones after a homicide such as cause of death, and the race, sex and height of a victim. Post says studying and reviewing over materials helped him through the final.
"The final was pretty tough and pretty much hit on everything we had talked about, but overall, I think I was as prepared as I could've been," Post said.
Each student will have his or her own regimen for preparing for finals, but here are helpful hints for students to keep in mind to survive finals week:
• Be prepared. The most important factor in exam success is preparation. Prepare yourself by doing homework regularly for practice and reviewing past tests and quizzes you took during the semester.
• Spend a few minutes each week reviewing your notes so your final studying will be a review, not an attempt to make up for the entire semester.
• Attend end of the semester classes. You can ask last minute questions and receive help from instructors over sections you may not understand.
• Find a friend or classmates to study with. But don't study too long. Studying for long periods of time without frequent regular breaks will wear you out.
Martinez says it would also be beneficial for students to seek out of class help from the tutors.
"When the library is open, seek the tutors, it's a great opportunity to get extra help," Martinez said.
Williams says finals week can get pretty stressful, but it is important for one to keep his or her head on the ball.
"Manage your time wisely and review your materials," Williams said. "And don't freak out. That'll make you stress out even more and then you'll do worse on a final than you hoped to."
"Last year I would study right before a final, but I realize that this time around I have to take more time to study, so there will be more studying in advance," Claudia Martinez said.
Martinez, Garden City, said she is doing as much as possible now so she'll be ready for her finals.
Finals are scheduled for Monday, Dec. 11 through Wednesday, Dec. 13. Class schedules determine when students will have their finals. Some may have all their finals in one day, or some will have finals spread throughout the three days.
James Fowler, Dimmit, Texas, says while his finals are scattered, he hopes he won't end up cramming.
"I'm going to try to manage my time better," Fowler said. "Hopefully, I can study for a couple hours each night from here on out."
Rhonda Williams will be balancing two jobs as well as trying to prepare for finals.
"It gets pretty stressful when you have both finals and a job, and it's harder to find extra time to put into the finals," Williams, South Gray, Kan., said.
Some students like David Post, Johnson, Kan., have already taken a final. His final in Criminal Investigation II consisted of 19 pages over the bones in the body and what you tell by looking at the bones after a homicide such as cause of death, and the race, sex and height of a victim. Post says studying and reviewing over materials helped him through the final.
"The final was pretty tough and pretty much hit on everything we had talked about, but overall, I think I was as prepared as I could've been," Post said.
Each student will have his or her own regimen for preparing for finals, but here are helpful hints for students to keep in mind to survive finals week:
• Be prepared. The most important factor in exam success is preparation. Prepare yourself by doing homework regularly for practice and reviewing past tests and quizzes you took during the semester.
• Spend a few minutes each week reviewing your notes so your final studying will be a review, not an attempt to make up for the entire semester.
• Attend end of the semester classes. You can ask last minute questions and receive help from instructors over sections you may not understand.
• Find a friend or classmates to study with. But don't study too long. Studying for long periods of time without frequent regular breaks will wear you out.
Martinez says it would also be beneficial for students to seek out of class help from the tutors.
"When the library is open, seek the tutors, it's a great opportunity to get extra help," Martinez said.
Williams says finals week can get pretty stressful, but it is important for one to keep his or her head on the ball.
"Manage your time wisely and review your materials," Williams said. "And don't freak out. That'll make you stress out even more and then you'll do worse on a final than you hoped to."
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