Tips offered for those facing finals

It's time to break open that stash of Folger's crystals and stock up on the No-Doz. With only six days remaining until finals begin, the race is on to read, write, memorize and do everything else feasible to make the grade. For many students, this process looms like a formidable, if not impossible, task. But there is hope, according to experts. Stress need not become overwhelming if proper study habits are followed. Myrna Cohen, director of the University Reading/Studying Improvement Service, said planning ahead is the key. This includes budgeting available study time and anticipating exam formats. "Know exactly what you have to know, know what the task is, evaluate the situation and study with the format in mind," she said. "Make up a schedule and be realistic about what you can accomplish in that period of time." However, a word of caution: don't sacrifice precious slumber during those last days of frantic cramming. "The biggest tip is sleeping well two days before the exam," said John Park, a coordinator at the Tutoring Center. "If you don't sleep well three or four days [before] the exam you won't do well." Park suggests that the best way to stay awake involves a mixture of caffeine and vitamin C. "[It's] better to drink coffee with O.J. -- seems to keep you awake better than just coffee. A lot of airplane pilots seem to do it," he said. Park advises against taking such sleep preventive substances as No-Doz, saying that they are an extreme that should be avoided. "I wouldn't recommend those things. That's just a little too much," he stated. Leonard Miller, assistant director of the University Counseling Service, warns that a student should not take them for the first time during finals as such substances can have adverse effects. "Certainly it wouldn't make sense to use those things for the first time the night before an exam," he cautioned. " For some, it puts them to sleep. It's really playing Russian roulette." Miller said he believes the best form of preparation is preparation in advance. He likens cramming to packing a suitcase: instead of packing in an orderly fashion, the crammer haphazardly throws in random articles and finds only disorganization when he reaches his destination. "When you get to your location, you find shoes of a different color," he said. "[Similarly with exam material], when you have to use it, it's not very productive." Park agreed, saying "it's just being prepared throughout the semester. If you stay on top of your subject, there will be no need for you to panic." For those students for whom procrastination is a regular part of the study routine, following Cohen's advice and cramming with others may be the solution. "Study with more people. It makes it more interesting," Cohen offered. "Putting studying in a social context can enhance the learning." Then again, for those of you looking for desperate measures, there is always luck. In fact, said Miller, some students are very superstituous when it comes to test situations. "Some put on special clothes, like a sweatshirt they wore when they got an A on an exam seven years ago," said Miller. "Often they will attempt to study in the same place as they did when they did well before. Some will fly home just to be able to study in that particular library that they studied in as a high school student," he said.