The word “finals” tends to elicit stress and anxiety regardless of what college you attend or what country you live in. Tensions are rising, and everyone is a bit on edge in preparation for the end of the semester, especially at Tulane.  

Students should try to become more conscious of their own stress and always remember that they are not going through this alone; college students all around the world are experiencing the same things.

This stress about exams is normal, and it is an issue for schools around the world. To understand how stress regarding exams is perceived here compared to other countries, it is worth evaluating students’ comments on finals and stress at foreign institutions. To compare these experiences with our own, keep in mind that Tulane is ranked No. 129 on Forbes’ America’s Top Colleges list.

According to a student from 34th-ranked Middlebury College, who spent a year abroad at the University of Oxford, the workload throughout the year is comparable to the workload during finals week in the United States. There is not, however, as much pressure or stress.

“The workload seemed to be a little too much,” a student from 382nd-ranked University of North Dakota said in a comment on studyabroad101.com regarding his experience at the University of Oslo. A student from 93rd-ranked University of Texas at Austin who studied abroad at the Technical University of Munich said, on the same website, that the German university’s final examinations are “very hard on exchange students as it is very tempting to leave everything to last [minute].”

Though this stress around final exams is universal, Tulane students should be aware of their stress and learn to make a conscious effort to channel it. We have all been told to eat healthy foods, exercise regularly and get enough sleep during finals week, but this should be taken more seriously. Caring for your body really does help your academic performance and mental well-being.  

All students should feel comfortable taking advantage of the resources Tulane offers to reduce stress during the final exam period, including a calendar of activities meant to promote mindfulness.

While this can be a difficult time for almost everyone, especially at a school with high academic standards, students should never forget to take a deep breath and put things in perspective.

Your scores on these exams will not define you or your future, and no exam is worth putting your health and well-being in jeopardy.

This is an opinion article and does not reflect the views of The Tulane Hullabaloo. Robin is a freshman at Newcomb-Tulane College. She can be reached at [email protected].