Study Tips for Finals, and How to Manage Stress
By Rula Eskaf
Contributing writer
Finals are rapidly approaching. Students often feel overwhelmed, stressed and depressed due to the pressure associated with finals, but studying properly can lead to confident test-taking.
According to “9 Awesome Study Tips for College Students” in The Huffington Post, studying in
alternate places can lead to more effective information retention.
“Memory is colored by location, and changing your study locales increases the likelihood of
remembering what you've learned,” the study said.
Move from place to place, it suggests. Study at a Starbucks for one chapter, the library for
another. It can be as simple as switching between studying in the kitchen compared to the living room.
Heather Christensen, 29, of Anaheim, is a digital learning coach for the Anaheim Elementary
School District. Christensen suggests taking the learning material and splitting it into manageable sections and doing a little each night.
“I also often retyped super organized study guides,” Christensen said. “Thinking of how to
organize makes you process the content and make connections.”
Amal Shaheen, 26, of Costa Mesa, is an intern marriage and family therapist for Orange County
and a peer mentor for students on academic probation at the University of California, Riverside.
Shaheen suggests that students study with one another.
“You can work on study guides together,” Shaheen said. “And if you missed something in
lecture, someone else most likely has it on their notes.”
Shaheen also said that talking about subjects with other people can help students remember the topics better.
The Huffington Post piece also suggests writing out flash cards. Flash cards not only act as a
portable quizzing tool, but also exercise memory through writing definitions.
“Writing notes and definitions more than once will help imprint information in your memory,”
the piece said, citing the New York Times.
Chaffey Community College has several resources available to students. The success centers are open seven days a week and have many tutors on staff. Math tutors can help explain complicated concepts, and language tutors are on staff for all the languages Chaffey offers.
English tutors are also available to read essays and suggest edits.
The Success Centers are open Monday- Thursday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday: 10a.m.- 4p.m., and
Saturday and Sunday: 10a.m.-3p.m. Appointments can be made online at
Chaffey.edu/successcenters/home.
Working on good study habits can help guarantee good grades but self-care is important for
dealing with stress.
According to “Suicide on Campus and the Pressure of Perfection” in the New York Times, a
survey done by the American College Counseling Association found that “half their clients have severe psychological problems, an increase of 13 percent in just two years.”
Zaneta Sykes, 31, of New York City, is the director of education programs for Inner Arts
Initiative in New York. Sykes suggests self-care as a way to deal with stress. Meditation, yoga and sound therapy can help refocus a student back to the course work.
If yoga doesn't work, Chaffey has therapists on staff. Health services are available to all
students. Every semester, when fees are paid, the health fee helps pay for the therapists.
Just speaking to a professional can be helpful, and with the fees being covered, there is nothing to lose.
To make an appointment, call Chaffey student health at (909) 652-6331. If the stress has gotten to the point of being dangerous, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
College is difficult, and finals are stressful but students do not have to go at it alone. There are
people here to help. All you have to do is ask.