When studying for exams, students must choose which path to take: stress or success.
With midterms quickly approaching, Ferris students are figuring out ways to cope with their stress in order to get the most out of their study sessions.
“It depends on the class but I do get stressed pretty easily,” Ferris nursing sophomore Hannah Cooke said.
Students vary in their stress-relieving methods. Some students, like Ferris pre-dental junior Jenna Miller, cope with exam anxiety by studying harder.
“[I] just try and you know, catch up with my work because I feel like, usually when I’m stressed it’s because I’m behind on things,” Miller said. “So I usually try to get stuff done.”
Others, like Ferris pre-pharmacy sophomore Mark Smendik, take quiet breaks when they start to feel anxious.
“I make sure to get into a quiet place by myself and take deep breaths,” Smendik said.
Ferris social work sophomore Marina Robbins said she doesn’t show her stress but she does a few things to relieve it.
“I work out if I have time, take a nap or talk about it.” Robbins said.
Like Robbins, Cooke said that talking about her problems helps ease the tension.
“I talk about it with my roommate,” Cooke said. “It really helps to talk about it. And I also go to therapy too, which also helps just get it out there.”
Stress during exam week can be prevented, too, by practicing some of these methods. Ferris health care systems administration junior Nick Ackley does activities he enjoys to avoid stress.
“I rarely get stressed out or get that frustrated to where I’m stressed but to maintain that, I work out, play video games,” Ackley said.
Miller advises first-year students to begin exam preparation early to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
“Start studying before you think you need to, because you don’t want to cram at the last second,” Miller said.
According to Cooke, staying positive while studying can really help students stay calm.
“Take a deep breath, relax. You’ll get through it,” Cooke said. “Just be positive, optimistic about it. Don’t freak out. That’s probably the worst thing you could do.”