BY: Jessica Alldredge
Dear AUM student,
Here we are in the last few weeks of classes. This year has been difficult in every capacity. Between Covid-19, school changing drastically, and issues with work or loved ones, everyone has faced something this year that has affected them. But here we are, with two months left in the year. For better or worse— we made it.
As we go into finals, be sure to take care of yourself. Take the time to step back and reflect on how you’re doing. Check-in with yourself and track your mental health. This year hasn’t been easy. This semester has been one for the books, but there have been challenges that came your way that you made it through.
Remember: If you need someone to talk to, there are resources on campus that can help you. Counseling and Health Promotion Services are available if you need someone to talk to about how you’re doing mentally. Don’t forget that you can reach out to a confidential source to help you deal with whatever challenges you might be facing.
If you need last-minute tutoring or help with homework, the Warhawk Academic Success Center and the Instructional Support Lab are there to help you understand that concept or problem you’ve been struggling with all semester. The person in class that you’ve been chatting with about homework this semester would probably love to have a study group with you to prepare for finals.
Take that extra time to study, get the sleep you need before your test, take lots of notes, and do whatever ritual you need to do to feel prepared for finals. For some of us it’s cramming, for others it’s studying with friends, and for others it’s just trying to find something to calm the nerves.
Whatever you decide to do, realize that you’re not alone and there are so many resources and people around you that are willing to help when you step outside of yourself and ask. We know it’s not always easy, even for the most seasoned AUM student. A little help can go a long way, though. Don’t be afraid to ask for that help.
When finals are over and you make it through that test that you dreaded the most, you can breathe easy. The holidays are around the corner, along with a brand-new year. There will be challenges in those days too, but don’t worry, you’ve almost got 2020 behind you. If you can handle 2020 and the mess that it’s been, it’s possible that you can handle whatever next year will send your way.
Here’s a final farewell and a few happy words of encouragement going into finals week:
You got this.