Finals week approaches
By: Kyle Bernis
The week of May 7-11, also known as finals week, can be a menacing time for all involved, but there is hope even for the worst of procrastinators.
Sometimes a good grade on a final exam can mean the difference between passing and failing grades. So what are students doing to prepare?
“Cram my butt off the night before until about 2 a.m.,” said Sheree Breaux, a senior in criminal justice. Many other students had similar ideas, but is that really the best policy?
“Don’t cram,” advised Chris Delay, a criminal justice professor. “Study early and study often.”Delay said studying with a partner or a group and studying in short spurts of about 30 minutes to one hour could improve performance. He added that students should figure out what type of learners they are and to work with that ability. Having trouble staying up? “Espresso is a good thing.”
If you are having a tough time studying on your own, there are a few options. The Learning Center on the second floor of Lee Hall offers a variety of helpful tools, including study groups throughout the week, individual tutoring offered by appointment or walk-in and online tutoring. You can contact the Learning Center at 482-6583 or online at http://studentsuccess.louisiana.edu/Learning. All services are free to students.
“Time management is key," said Jared Veazay, a tutor at the center. "Schedule your study times and breaks and you’ll be likely to achieve more. Talk to your professor before testing to find out what forms that they prefer the answers to be in. It also can’t hurt to develop a rapport with your teachers--it may help if you’re on the fence.”For problems with essay questions, research papers and essays, the Writing Center is the place to be. Located in Room 107 of Griffin Hall, the center is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, where professionals and volunteers help students with most writing problems.
“Learn the verbiage that your particular subject uses. Make outlines and brainstorm before writing papers,” recommended Mitch Alderman, director of the center.If you need a place to study during finals week that allows for some level of privacy, you’re in luck. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette library will be open 24 hours a day from Saturday, May 5- Thursday, May 10. It closes at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 11 and will also be closed that weekend. The library will not be offering normal public services during this time, though; only the facility will be available.
The Cane Break Cafeteria located in the Student Union will be holding a special late-night meal on Wednesday, May 9, which is considered “dead day” to most of us, from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The meal will be free for students who produce their UL Lafayette Cajun Cards. The cafeteria will be serving during its usual hours of operation throughout the rest of that week.
If the stress of finals seems to be a lot to handle, that’s because it is. Carol Landry, Ph.D., with the Services for Students with Disabilities, said stress can have consequences.
“Stress has a profound effect on a student’s performance on an exam,” she said. “You may have trouble studying and remembering information, but there are methods of dealing with these issues.”
One method she recommended is attending one of the test anxiety workshops provided by the department. Times for the seminars are: Tuesday, April 24, at 12:30 p.m.; Wednesday, May 1 at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.; and Thursday, May 2, at 11 a.m. All seminars are being held in Room 126 in the Conference Center.
Last update: 2007-05-09