Beating finals stress

As school demands more of students during finals there are many ways that students can cope with stress and succeed during finals.

One of the most important ways to manage stress is by listening to your body, says Community Health Student Coordinator Alex Erkenbeck.

"Pay attention to your body and how you’re feeling and usually your body has a good idea of what it needs," Erkenbeck said.

Staying healthy is key to dealing with stress during finals. This includes making sure to get enough sleep, staying physically active, and choosing healthy foods.

"There are a lot of different ways people handle stress and it's all very individual and it's all about finding what works for you and what works for you personally," Erkenbeck said.

Also, staying organized and planning ahead for finals helps to manage stress levels. By taking these steps it is possible to avoid high stress levels during finals.

"The biggest thing I’ve learned is to actually study, to do the study guides and to go to the review sessions," said CU Senior Hannah Hoff. "Because if you go in blind without going to review sessions it just doesn’t help. So I feel like being less stressed is from being more prepared."

By dedicating energy to studying and preparation rather than worrying, students can see much greater results from their efforts.

"Instead of worrying about your exam tomorrow and expending a lot of energy worrying about it, do something like organizing your notes or reading or reviewing things with friends," said Julie Yun, Assistant Director at CU's Counseling and Psychological Services Center. "If you have something that you're able to do [then] do it."

Succeeding academically ultimately relies on preparation and finding the tools that will help manage stress and excel on exams and final papers.

"I think I have learned my own personal best way to study and I think everyone has their own personal best way to study," said CU Senior Brina Dokich. "I think everyone needs to find that for themselves and it will make studying a lot easier if you find that method that always works every time."

For information on the resources available at no-cost for students through Counseling and Psychological Services visit counseling.colorado.edu