That time of year is quickly approaching. No, not the part when summer starts and everything is well in the life of a student — it’s rather the part that every student in history is guilty of whining about: when people bring all of their belongings to the library to campout and also the time of year when you may get people walking around campus mixed up with the cast of The Walking Dead. If you haven’t figured it out by now, exam season is upon us.
To the average student, it seems like the amount of studying that needs to be done is unattainable, and no matter what they do, they are bound to get a failing grade. Exam season is basically a “poor me dramatic monologue” brought to you by every student, ever. People think of these end-of-the-semester tests as the ultimate trial of your knowledge and a test to end all tests, just because they are referred to as final exams.
If you are a student, or have ever been a student, chances are you have heard a phrase quite similar to this one: “Tiffany, I literally was at the library until 2 a.m. this morning. I’m not wearing anything but sweats for the next three weeks. Like, you don’t even know.”
News flash — Tiffany knows and every other student does, too. There is almost no reason for complaining about exams when you’re not the only student around. It’s like we try to get sympathy from other students, even if these other people have double the amount of studying than we do.
The person you’re talking to at the library or in your class is probably in the exact same boat as you — no, they’re definitely in the same boat as you.
Students complain endlessly about exams when they could be spending time actually studying for them, which makes their dramatic monologues quite useless. It’s almost like students feel that they are entitled to complain because that’s what’s common during university life. To be able to go to post-secondary school and learn the things you want to learn is a complete privilege, so it’s about time we focus on the benefits of final exams and put our complaints to rest.
There is so much more to life than university exams, so relax. It isn’t to say that you shouldn’t care about them because then there wouldn’t even be a point in becoming a student. There are however, things you can do to cut down on the worrying and stop complaining to your parents on the phone every night. Make sure you’re eating right, sleeping enough, getting fresh air when you can and well, studying.
Students spend the entire semester learning everything they need to know for their exams, yet everyone is convinced that they will certainly fail. The pressures of exams can be some of the hardest, but complaining about them will only increase your worries.
It’s time to step it up and put our complaints to rest because the exams that you complain about are the foundation for you future. We as students have to start ‘adulting’ at some point, so why not start this exam season with zero complaints — well, maybe just a few about the weather.