Between Fest Season, random days of nice weather and the general hustle and bustle of spring, some can argue that this semester, like every semester, has been hectic for many students.
The end of the semester is looming and exam week is just around the corner. While some students have been studying for weeks, others will lock themselves into Alden Library a few days prior in order to cram for various projects and engage in either solo study sessions or work with friends.
In order to keep motivation high, students focus on various goals and dreams to remember that the pain and stress of exams is only temporary and that summer vacation is fast approaching.
Nathan Zollinger, a freshman studying electrical engineering, said in order to study he has been spending time focusing on notes and material given to him by his professors. He said he wanted to make sure he understood everything going on in the various topics he learned about.
He said his favorite spot to go was either hanging out in the Washington Hall lobby or finding a spot at the library.
Zollinger said his biggest motivator to get through the next couple of weeks was knowing that the semester is almost over and anticipating a potential trip to Germany over the summer with his family.
“I’m just ready to relax,” he said.
Evelyn Williams, a freshman studying marketing and entrepreneurship, said in order to prepare for exam week she has been trying to catch up on homework first to make sure she understood what was going on before doing more. She said an important part of her studying routine was also to take mental breaks in order to increase productivity.
According to Williams, the key to studying is finding an enjoyable space to work.
“Just find a space that you really like, someplace that inspires you and something that’s comfortable to be able to study at,” she said. “It’s okay to procrastinate, but you need to productively procrastinate.”
Williams said her favorite place to study was either the third floor of Alden or on days when it’s nice outside, being able to sit out on a blanket.
Williams said her biggest motivator was knowing that after exams, she will have completed her first year at OU. Although this made her nervous to think about, she said she felt proud of herself for this accomplishment.
Allianna Tarango, a freshman studying business entrepreneurship, said studying for this semester's exams have been relatively easy since she is taking a lot of extracurricular courses and what she considers “fillers.”
She said her biggest piece of advice to those struggling to study would be to avoid studying in their rooms in order to maintain productivity.
“I feel like when you study in your room, you got to clean something, or you move to your bed and then you fall asleep (and) get too comfortable,” she said. “I feel like it’s too easy to get distracted in your room.”
She said her biggest motivator to study was looking at the receipts page on how much money she spent on each class in order to get herself to be more productive.
While some students prefer the quiet tranquility of the library, others prefer a reminder of what they sacrificed to get to this point. According to these Bobcats, finals will be manageable if not a breeze.
