11TH WEEK? WHERE IS THE SEMESTER RUNNING TO?

What can be done to ease the tension students are feeling?

By Okeke Somkenechi Gift

It seems just like yesterday the semester began, yet here we are in the 11th week. The school atmosphere is starting to shift—students have their heads buried in their books. Tension is slowly creeping in, especially for 100, 200 and 300 level students writing GES exams which will begin on the 12th week. Ironically, some courses have not been taught halfway through the course outlines.

As week 12 draws closer, anxiety is building up. Should we go back to using 13 weeks for lectures? Many students believe the semester is rushed. Some lecturers are requesting extra classes to make up for lost time.

Students are spending longer hours in the library, and some have begun TDB. Assignments are piling up, especially for 400 level students who are juggling multiple assignments with their final year project work. Sadly, some still don’t have approved project topics.

What can be done to ease the tension students are feeling?

·        Prioritize Mental Health: Students should always remember that their mental health matters. Students should take shorts break once in a while, especially when they are overwhelmed. A little rest does more good than harm. The university has a Student Help Center where students can talk about their problems.

·        Form Study Groups:  Learning from peers not only helps you understand difficult topics but also solidifies what you already know. Some people would argue that the best way to learn something is to teach it.

·        Set SMART Goals: With the different events going on within the school, students should set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound goals. They should also set their priorities and work towards achieving them.

·        Avoid Multitasking: People, especially students, believe that they can multitask effectively. Multitasking reduces efficiency. Doing things one at a time, no matter how slow it seems you are going increases efficiency. Creating a checklist and ticking off each completed task brings this sense of satisfaction, and boosts motivation.

As exams draw nearer, remember to: eat well, get enough but not too much sleep, drink water often, take care of their mental health, talk to someone and do things one at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed by the tension.