Finals season is back, along with its associated sense of panic and worry. To say it is a stressful time would very much be an understatement. It is a period where the sale of caffeinated beverages probably skyrockets as total hours slept dwindles. Although exam and paper preparation can be exhausting, we paradoxically intensify these efforts to a point in which we practically become zombies. We think this intense study routine necessary for success, but the consequences of doing so actually work against success.
As we’ve all read online during prolonged study breaks, sleep is vital for our basic functioning as human beings. We see during finals season students taking advantage of the 24/7 operation of the library as opposed to its normal 2 a.m. weekday closing time. Many students will pull all-nighters as part of a study routine designed to maximize exam performance or paper content, while totally ignoring the bodily need to get rest. Current norms dictate that sleep comes second, but this is conversely not conducive to the perceived academic priority.
Without proper sleep, according to the National Institutes of Health, we can have trouble focusing and paying attention. We can have problems with comprehension. These consequences are not at all conducive towards doing well on an exam or writing a satisfactory paper. Ironically, we trade off acceptable levels of sleep for more preparation time, but we end up suffering the ramifications of doing so in the end.
The main problem here is the atmosphere of panic and stress that students anxious about this make-or-break period generate. Too much importance is placed on this rather short period, a time that consequently has the potential to dent a student’s academics. True, final exams and papers are important, but we cannot afford to place so much emphasis on such a short period such that we are unable to care for ourselves.
Not many are spared from the taxes of this studying and writing period. Even with the most lenient of academic schedules, students still tend to get caught up in the pursued perfection of their studies. There is nothing wrong with this pursuit, certainly, but the aforementioned emphasis placed on the importance of finals season drives us to work beyond our capacities.
We study at one of the most prestigious universities in the Northeast, and in the country to boot. Of course we can expect to see a rigorous exam and paper schedule, but we should stop overstressing about them. To be clear, we should study all that we can, but only what within our own personal boundaries. When we’re up in the library at 2 a.m. and are struggling to keep our eyes open, we shouldn’t ignore that sign and push forward. Sometimes, it is important to remove academics from the top of our list of priorities.
As students, it is our responsibility to structure our schedules and study times so that we benefit both physiologically and academically. Nobody is going to force us to stop studying, even if we have crossed the sleep threshold where we suffer the consequences of sacrificing rest for work. This finals season, we need to take a step back, take a deep breath and contemplate what kind of study regimen will be most beneficial towards exams and papers and our physical well-being. Sometimes, the best thing for our studies can be a good night’s rest and a good breakfast, even if work is sacrificed to do so.
Remember, exams and papers are temporary, and academics are not as important as our physical well-beings. When sleepiness sets in, it is a sign that it is time to get rest, not to simply push on. We cannot continue to build upon this culture that tacitly accepts the gradual degradation of our physical selves, as the consequences of doing this may prove detrimental for us far beyond our college lives into the future.
