Exam week woes
Lack of organization and procrastination can lead to increased stress during exams
By: Nikki Bussey
Issue date: 12/3/08 Section: News
Skylar Eble sits alone in a corner of the Tiger Den at a table littered with books, notes and pens. She's studying for finals. But she's not worried.
Eble, a sophomore majoring in social work, is a reformed procrastinator who said she's learned from her previous mistakes.
"I realized how important it is to keep your grades up and buckle down," Eble said. "I want to get better grades than last year, not that they were bad."
Managing her time better, she said she is not stressed about her tests at all.
But Eble's confidence is a rare find on The University of Memphis campus. It's the beginning of finals week, which means at any given moment, students can be found bent over books or blankly staring at computer screens, furiously typing away.
"I'm stressed because I'm waiting until the last minute to study, and all of my tests are jammed together," said Lakesha Bello, a sophomore accounting major. "I have two big exams for accounting this week and two in English and econ next week."
Bello doesn't blame anyone but herself for the stress. The pressure, she said, helps her do better on the tests.
"If I study two weeks before, I'm going to forget it," she said. "I have to do it a couple of days before. I think I do better because I study harder than I would."
Bill Dwyer, an introduction to psychology professor who has taught over 34,000 students in 40 years, said he has seen it all. Dwyer said he attributes students' stress levels to a lack of organization
"Why do you suppose employers want to know your grade point average?" Dwyer said. "College involves around 40 classes, which is essentially 40 bosses that tell them what to do to get a good grade. If they do what they tell them, they get a good grade, and that's what employers want. If someone has a 2.1 (G.P.A.) that tells employers they don't do what they are told. If they have a 3.8, then they know that person will listen to instruction. It's also the same when a student says they liked one class better than the other, and that's why the grade was better. That's the same thing as saying you like your boss but not your supervisor."
Eble, a sophomore majoring in social work, is a reformed procrastinator who said she's learned from her previous mistakes.
"I realized how important it is to keep your grades up and buckle down," Eble said. "I want to get better grades than last year, not that they were bad."
Managing her time better, she said she is not stressed about her tests at all.
But Eble's confidence is a rare find on The University of Memphis campus. It's the beginning of finals week, which means at any given moment, students can be found bent over books or blankly staring at computer screens, furiously typing away.
"I'm stressed because I'm waiting until the last minute to study, and all of my tests are jammed together," said Lakesha Bello, a sophomore accounting major. "I have two big exams for accounting this week and two in English and econ next week."
Bello doesn't blame anyone but herself for the stress. The pressure, she said, helps her do better on the tests.
"If I study two weeks before, I'm going to forget it," she said. "I have to do it a couple of days before. I think I do better because I study harder than I would."
Bill Dwyer, an introduction to psychology professor who has taught over 34,000 students in 40 years, said he has seen it all. Dwyer said he attributes students' stress levels to a lack of organization
"Why do you suppose employers want to know your grade point average?" Dwyer said. "College involves around 40 classes, which is essentially 40 bosses that tell them what to do to get a good grade. If they do what they tell them, they get a good grade, and that's what employers want. If someone has a 2.1 (G.P.A.) that tells employers they don't do what they are told. If they have a 3.8, then they know that person will listen to instruction. It's also the same when a student says they liked one class better than the other, and that's why the grade was better. That's the same thing as saying you like your boss but not your supervisor."