Mary Gilmore, Staff Writer
Finals week is often described as the most stressful stretch of the semester. Yet, with the right preparation, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Rather, finals can be approached with confidence when the right resources are available. This includes using online and in-person tools to help get through the week.
The first step is to become efficient at managing your time. Organization is key to understanding what needs to be done and when. Using planners, prioritizing important courses, and mapping out your days can help avoid last-minute cramming.
Additionally, when studying, active recall is one of the best methods to use. That involves testing yourself as you continue to go through the material. This is better than rereading notes as it activates your brain in a way that allows you to actually learn while reading.
Spaced repetition is another tool and an important one that is often overlooked. Reviewing the material over several days strengthens your memory of those topics. This method is really helpful for science courses, where memorization and understanding smaller details is extremely important.
However, even with all those tips, burnout is still a possibility during finals. Study.com is a helpful resource for understanding how studying works, which includes providing courses, study guides, and resources to help both students and professionals master their academic needs.
“How to Recognize and Recover from Burnout as an Online Student” published by Study.com is a helpful article discussing how to recognize and recover from burnout.
Burnout can look like low energy, fatigue, memory issues, and behavioral changes. Any physical, cognitive, behavioral, and emotion changes within a person could represent that their issue is burnout rather than normal fatigue. However, there are prevention strategies for burnout. If you create a supportive environment, such as joining a study group, you can engage in better and more regulated studying. Other tools include designing a study routine and supporting your physical health.
Physical health is one of the most overlooked causes of burnout. The body and mind are deeply interconnected, so when sleep, nutrition, and exercise are neglected, the mind is also neglected. Energy reserves will drop, and stress hormones will rise, making concentration and daily tasks all the more difficult. Poor physical health erodes resilience, turning ordinary challenges into burdens.
Recovery is also important, especially if you recognize burnout in yourself. Unplugging from screens and reconnecting with peers are two ways to recover from burnout. Filling your free time with activities that stimulate your brain with positivity can strengthen your overall sense of well-being. Doomscrolling and other damaging ways to fill your free time can drain your energy which progresses burnout.
For SUNY Oneonta, there are several resources on campus to help avoid burnout. This includes visiting Academic Advisement, the Student Learning Center, and receiving accommodations by the Accessibility Resources Office. Being open and honest about experiencing burnout allows professors, advisors, and peers to help provide accommodation and compassion.
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