The fall semester is soon coming to a close, but before it does there’s lots of preparation that must take place. Finals will be here before we know it. So, what’s a tired, overwhelmed and anxious student to do in preparation for the big week? My guess is to crack open the books now and study every day until the very last exam.

Preparing for finals is by far one of the most stressful times in one’s collegiate life. It requires great sacrifice and immeasurable perseverance if your desire is to come out on top. This means declining an invitation to go out with friends — or, in my case, putting my son to sleep on time every night so that I can maximize my study time. It also means turning off my cell phone, television and computer so that I can truly concentrate and not have the urge to see what I’m missing as I immerse myself in my books.

Although it is essential to focus and study every night until the “big day,” it is quite dreadful. It takes a lot of self-control and discipline, both of which I have little of, especially at the end of a term. I’m usually drained by the end of a semester, and this fall was no exception. If there wasn’t a 75-page chapter to read in order to pass the daily quizzes, there was a presentation to prepare. In addition to the presentations, there were the exams to study for. Some of my exams covered as many as 10 chapters each and were all essays, no short answers or multiple choices. Yeah, I know we’re in college, but humor me a bit, professors — geesh. That’s a lot of information to memorize. I’m just saying.

Yet, I can’t shift the focus to the demands of my classes. I have to acknowledge my part in lack of preparation. Each year I lie to myself and make this ambitious plan to stay on top of my readings throughout the semester and not procrastinate or try to cram every iota of information at the end of the term, but I always fail to carry it out. This semester was no different. Here it is, two weeks before finals and my heart is racing anxiously as the days go by. My main thought is: where do I start? How do I organize all the material that I’ve gathered throughout the term and retain it so that I can regurgitate it on the exam? These questions fill my mind with confusion and all that the confusion produces is delay of the inevitable. The more time I take to figure out where I should begin, the more time I waste that could be used to store the material that has been taught throughout the previous weeks.

So there’s only one way to handle this. It’s mind over matter. Finals are on their way. These grades count. I’m going to put my best foot forward. I’m going to start by thinking positively and not allowing anxiety to rule over me. I have to take it one day and one class at a time. I also have to let go of my addiction to mindless television and entertainment. I guess it’s “Bye, bye ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta'” and “Hello books.” Can I get an Amen?

Jade Rouzan is a mass communication junior. She can be reached at [email protected]

In My Opinion is a weekly column open to any Loyola student. Those interested in contributing can contact [email protected]

Political science students Amy Swanson, freshman, Hayley Harris, junior, and Elizabeth Jacklin, sophomore, study in Monroe Library. With finals approaching, students are spending more time with their books. (chika john/photo editor)