By Sean Savage
@SeanSav13
Acclimating to college is no easy task, and for many first-year students, it is their first time being fully independent. Unfortunately, many first-year students feel that as soon as they get the hang of college, they are teased with a short Thanksgiving break and then slammed with finals.
Stress levels are high, and the workload is picking up. Everyone is getting over the last push before enjoying a much-needed winter break.
For Danny Brady, adjusting to college took longer than usual.
“It has been hard because I am from Colorado, and I did not know anyone when I first got here,” Brady said. “However, over time I have adjusted by meeting new friends and doing well in school.”
Exercise science major Josh McMinn had a similar start to the school year.
“Overall, the first part of college was stressful, adjusting to a whole new lifestyle and not being home,” he said.
After a while, McMinn was “able to find a groove” and found a routine that worked best for him.
“The workload compared to high school is harder but also more easygoing, meaning assignments flow in and out easier,” McMinn said.
Brady is a sports management major, and most of his finals have been presentations.
“This week has been stressful because I like to procrastinate, so I have been grinding the last week to get everything done,” he said. “Also, I had to present in three of my five classes for the final, which is not my strong suit.”
Brady is not the only one who feels stress slowly creeping up on them.
Similarly, Paige Alexander, an elementary and special education major, feels most of the work is project-based but still very burdensome.
“There was a lot of unknown with what was expected at first. They are almost all papers or group projects, and I only have one test,” she said. “I am a little stressed by the amount of work. All of my friends feel the same way, stressed, tired, and overwhelmed, and some are in denial.”
However, communications and sports journalism major Liam Reilly, feels differently about having many projects. Reilly feels the workload is manageable because, with projects, there is time to get ahead on them.
“It is different from high school because a lot of my finals in high school were done in one day, very few were done as a project,” he said.
Brooke Beneway, an undeclared major, feels well prepared for the week as she took a lot of advanced placement classes.
“I do not have any written finals,” Beneway said. “I have a bunch of projects, so it is less stressful but also a lot more work.”
McMinn feels like the most challenging thing about finals is still being tasked with other work outside of just studying – although he did credit his teachers, saying, “They have been accommodating with helping me study for my finals, and it has made it much easier.”
Hayden Cheever, a physical education major, gave his advice on how to deal with the workload.
“I would definitely say be consistent and make time for yourself,” he said. “Definitely study hard but make time to move your body, read, or maybe watch a movie to give a few examples.”
Photo Courtesy Springfield College