As you walk through the hallways of Hunter this week, sweatpants, laptops low on charge and students sleeping in the library are just a few symptoms you will observe as the disease known as “finals” spreads across campus. Every floor of the library is packed with students reading textbooks, making Quizlets or typing away on their laptops. Some are in study groups while others put their headphones in and are oblivious to what is going on around them. But everyone looks like they are being pushed to the edge.
“Finals have been tough, a lot of headaches, sleepless nights and not eating,” said Dee Frazier, an art major, whose tired tone and half-shut eyelids captured the essence of finals week. “I’m taking three finals with my art class being the toughest.”
Though studying for finals ahead of time is ideal, the art of procrastination has proven to be the popular decision for students over the eons. Tweaking a portfolio, conducting last-minute surveys or finishing the last page of a 10-page paper are common sights. And everyone seems to handle their assigned tasks in a different way.
“I prepare by locking myself in a room and avoiding all human contact until the final,” said Leonel Brito.
“To motivate myself to study, I keep a tab of “friends” open so every time I take a page of notes, I reward myself with a 10-minute break,” said sophomore Aleen Khan.
Occasionally students will participate in rituals to get their mind in the right place for a successful finals season. Some depend on a lucky pen or pencil, others tend to place their faith in a higher being.
“Before I walk into a final, I always make sure to say a prayer,” said a confident Jermaine Sagawa, an economics major. Before every exam Sagawa bows his head and prays quietly as part of his routine to being mentally prepared.
Muslim students however have another obstacle to overcome this time of year. Since it is currently the month of Ramadan, many students are fasting from sunrise to sunset and this is affecting their study habits.
“I really haven’t been studying, to be honest,” said senior Ibrahim Siddiqui. “I can’t really concentrate and I’m always tired because of fasting.”
The hallways were definitely quieter this week, though some students prefer to work away from home in order to stay focused.
“I’m a person that can’t do any type of schoolwork at home so that’s why I always prefer to do my work at school,” says Danny Walker. “Especially during the 24-hour period in the library. That’s when I get most of my studying done.”
Walker couldn’t say why he is more productive at school than at home, but he could say he’s a firm believer in “if it isn’t broken then why fix it?”
One thing most every student agreed on this week is it’s good to be done – at least for a while.
“Once finals are done, I plan to work, get money, eat well and just being stress-free,” Frazier said. “The best part about finals is that it’s finals — so it’s over.”
