Finals week starts on Monday, and all across campus students are hitting the books. These final tests bring students more stress than joy that the end of the semester is near.  

“It’s the light at the end of the tunnel, I guess,” Rhonda Phillips, senior nursing major said. “One more step towards graduation.”

However, not all students are as optimistic during the last week of classes. More and more students can be seen in the library every night as the first day of finals approaches. 

“I’m pretty stressed,” Abby Tate, senior health promotion and wellness major, said. 

But despite the daunting task of studying and remembering all the material necessary to be successful on finals, it is possible. There are many different ways students can prepare for their tests, but with all studying methods, each student studies differently. 

“I’m all right. A little stressed out but I think I know most of the material,” Steven Ragsdale, junior health promotion and wellness major, said. “I study all the study guides and reference the textbooks to find out what chapters the information is in and go back to my notes from previous semesters if I need to.”

“I study in groups with lots of coffee,” Tate said. “It would also be helpful to study a little each night without cramming.”

The type of test can also determine how to go about studying — whether it’s comprehensive and requires studying information from the whole semester or centralized on a specific topic of the class. 

“Usually try to have my study guides made up and keep everything organized because our tests are comprehensive,” Phillips said. “I also make sure I take breaks.”

Taking breaks can be very helpful but it is important to have a study schedule to avoid procrastinating. 

“Don’t procrastinate too much and study more than just what’s on your notes because that can sometimes screw you over,” Ragsdale said. 

The George A. Spiva Library will be open until midnight Sunday, Dec. 11 through Thursday, Dec. 15 for students wanting to study more.