Freshman year is a one of new beginnings, new classes, and new people. Freshmen face various changes as they move into high school, and one of the biggest changes being final exams. Finals season is nearing, and many freshmen are anxiously anticipating its arrival, wary that this week of test-taking could bring down all their grades.

Freshman Talia Samuel said, “It’s my first year doing [finals] so I’m not completely prepared…it’s pretty stressful because they are a really big [deal].” It isn’t rare for students to feel the weight of academic pressure from themselves or others around them – especially going into important exams.

Freshman Kiran Borman said, “I think for most students, this concept of one week determining your final grade, especially for those who didn’t have the greatest performance in the class over the semester, might be intimidating.”

Samuel agreed with Borman, adding “[The exams] will have information from the whole semester which is pretty stressful to think about.” Finals carry a lot of value, and not knowing what to expect for each question is daunting and stress-inducing.

To try and prepare for finals, freshman Patrick Sproul said he is “going to try to spread out the work, so I don’t procrastinate it…I’m just gonna really try to study and put in the hours.” Sproul acknowledges that studying for finals won’t be easy, nor will it take a short amount of time.

Samuel said, “I’ll spend a lot of time studying my notes and flashcards because that’s what helps me the most.” Some of the best tips to keep in mind while studying are being patient and knowing what helps you retain information.

By the time students are seniors they have had their fair share of finals. Indeed, they’re a great resource to seek help when anxious about finals. Senior Olivia Maestre said the best way for freshmen to prepare for finals is “looking over all of your papers, being super organized, and actually planning out when you’re going to study for each class…Focus on the finals in order and then split the work between days so you’re not cramming a bunch of studying in one day.”

Senior Wen-Hui Alford emphasized the importance of academies during the month of finals. “If you know there’s a class that you’re having a hard time with, go to your teachers and use academies to just ask for help because it’s easy and I know I should have done that when I was younger.”

Above all, Maestre and Alford both believe the absolute best way to score high is to keep things in perspective, and relax. Maestre said, “When you go into something new, not really knowing what something is like, it’s totally normal to feel nervous.” The unknown is scary, and walking into finals unprepared for what the unknown might be can make finals seem bigger than what they really are.

“I also don’t think a lot of freshmen understand that the 15% weight isn’t actually that big of a weight on your grade. So they go into [finals] thinking ‘If I do bad on this I’m gonna fail the class’ when you have a 93 and if you fail your final, you’re still going to have an A…It’s a misinterpretation of how much it really impacts your grade” adds Maestre. Understanding the reality that even though finals are important, they don’t shape your entire grade – or academic capabilities – is a reassurance to help you stay calm.

Having the right mentality and confidence during finals is also important. Alford said, “Everyone’s going to be so stressed but honestly if you go into finals with the mindset that you’re gonna fail the test then you’re probably going to fail the test – no matter if it’s finals or just a regular test.” Anticipating a bad grade on a final, or any test, could result in a bad grade even if you’re prepared. “You have to have a little bit of confidence and just understand what you need to study,” Alford added.

For freshmen, finals present themselves as an abyss of scary confusing questions and long hours of studying where everything is unknown. As the week of finals inches closer, it’s important to acknowledge that being prepared is extremely important, and time can slip away from you if you’re not careful. With finals comes pressure, stress, and exhaustion, but it’s essential to remember to prioritize your health and understand that while finals may be important, it is just a grade at the end of the day.