One week before finals exams, students on campus are already tense with anticipation. Many are finding different ways to prepare for the tests, whether it be studying through Google Docs, group chats, or handwritten notes.

Along with the late-night study sessions come various amounts of stress. Many students experience panic while staring at their mountainous stack of textbooks. Some people choose to push off their worry.

“The stress doesn’t usually sink into me until the week before. Then, I usually listen to music while I study or rant to people,” Archana Podury (10) said.

With the large amount of stress placed upon them, students have found various ways to cope with their panic. Some students have already started studying for their finals, carefully splitting up their study time into blocks. Teachers also help out, suggesting study techniques for their students.

“I tell my students to split their schedule up and study each subject in breaks. It saves them more time,” chemistry teacher Dr. Smriti Koodanjeri said.

However, students such as Andre Tran (12), president of Spirit Club, believe that fun, light-hearted class competitions such as gingerbread house making on the Wednesday long lunch before finals would relieve the tension of exams.

“It takes student’s minds off things for a little while. It’s a chance to not worry about school for an hour and a half,” he said.

With finals rapidly approaching, many students turn to their friends, classmates, and teachers to aid them with studying, while others prefer to ease their stress with fun, spirited class events. In either situation, those burdened with finals often step back for a little while to take a breath and enjoy time for themselves.