Navigating Midterms/Finals in Grad School

Having just gone through my first set of finals for my MAcc classes at Ohio State, I thought it would be a great time to offer some tips about navigating the stress and sharing my experiences!

MAcc classes are seven weeks, meaning that finals can creep up on you if you are not careful. It always helps to plan ahead and make sure you set aside a few days in advance that you know you can fit study time into. The pace of classes is definitely a step up from undergrad, meaning that I had to be more deliberate in my planning so that I could take a look at all of the material before taking an exam.

In addition, many classes tend to have group projects that can some times align with other exams and stack up on top of each other certain weeks. It is important to be aware of important dates coming up and using extra time you might have to get a head start so that you are not overwhelming yourself with too many different tasks. It also helps to communicate with your group ahead of time because, chances are, you and your group members are in most of the same classes.

Finally, in order to balance your schedule, sometimes you need to put the school work away and enjoy life. It is important to work, study and get everything done, but everyone needs a mental break once in a while. At Ohio State, it is super easy to find ways to let loose and enjoy your time in college. During the fall, football games are a great way to get away from your studies. The stadium has a great atmosphere and our team is worth seeing for sure. I always enjoy tailgating before, the actual game, and being able to walk home and watch the rest of the football games at a friend's house. Having fun on the weekends is essential to being able to lock in during the weeks and tackle the MAcc's schedule.

I hope everyone is getting through their midterms/finals season!