Indiana University Southeast offers advice during exam week

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) - This week, Erika Santoro said her stress level is probably at about an 8 out of 10. On top of two exams this week, she's got a final paper to write and worst of all, she said, a presentation to give.

The college student said for her, finals week isn't about finding her zen, it's about getting everything done. After that, she already knows how she's going to unwind.

"I told my dad he has to take me out to eat," Santoro said.

The criminal justice junior is in the same boat as the entire student body at Indiana University Southeast. Finals week is here and the campus de-stressing events wrapped up last week. Students are busy with their last preparations for exams, but there's still opportunity and good reason to relax before going to class one last time.

Seuth Chaleunphonh, dean of student life at IU Southeast, said students have a lot of resources available on campus, from counseling for test anxiety to a fitness center to help blow off some steam. But he said a good starting point is to take a breath and relax.

"Don't obsess on the stuff you can't control, just the things you can," Chaleunphonh said. "There's a difference between being a perfectionist and just doing your best. If students can accept whatever level of achievement they make this week, it might provide a better mindset rather than putting too much pressure on one's self."

He said hopefully, students have spent more time preparing for final exams and assignments before this week, but if last-minute cramming is the last resort, he said it's a good plan to prioritize how much time to spend on any particular subject. While it's tempting to go in order of what exam comes first, he said it makes more sense to dedicate more time to whichever exam or final is the most intimidating, or the one for which students are least prepared.

He also said eating healthy is important during pre-exam preparation. Monday night, faculty and staff helped serve a Moonlight Breakfast to students, starting at 9 p.m. in the IUS Library. Students pulling all-nighters in the library's study rooms got a little refueling before heading home or back to dorms.

Will Jackson, a music student at IU Southeast, was hanging out in the game room on campus, playing a video game on Monday. He said he's got two exams coming up this week, one in music theory and another in German cultural history. Jackson said he was trying to unwind and not worry so much about the exams, but there's a little voice in the back of his head that just won't shut up.

"What if I forget every kind of major 7th chord there is?" he said. "Honestly, I'm not terribly nervous. There's a couple of areas of specificity that I'm worried about, but on the whole, I think I'm good."

Jackson has a plan ahead of his finals later in the week. He said Monday was for relaxation, as well as Tuesday. By Wednesday, he said he'll be ready to focus on class material. He said he's paid attention all semester, so he's confident in what's ahead.

"I think it's important to think about those feel-good hobbies and get those going, so you can stay in a state of remote happiness," Jackson said.

Chaleunphonh said unwinding after the fact is also important. Whether students are pleased with their performance or not, he said it's important for them to let go, celebrate the victories and take the opportunity to learn how they might do better in the future.

But it also helps, he said, to just let it all out when finals are over.

"Personally, it's always great to have fun and go somewhere where it's socially appropriate to scream," Chaleunphonh said. "We don't recommend the abuse of drugs, or alcohol or anything like that, but just find a healthy way to let go of that stress."

___

Source: News and Tribune, http://bit.ly/2g6PAzz

___

Information from: News and Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind., http://www.newsandtribune.com