Megan Trotter | news editor

‘Twas the day before finals, when all through the college, All the students were studying and cramming for knowledge.

It’s that time of the year again — final exam week — and Duquesne mental health experts have some advice for students on how to tackle the stress and anxiety of exams during the darkest month of the year.

Young adults in college deal with a unique combination of stressors year round, such as adjusting to college, general anxiety and self-identity issues, according to Assistant Director of Duquesne’s Counseling Services Lacie Valiante. But bigger testing periods such as final exams often make students feel as though the stakes are raised.

“From things that students have reported, or even from what I once experienced as a college student, oftentimes your total grade in the class might rely on the final. You know that might be [that] maybe you haven’t done that well on previous exams. Maybe you’re hoping that the final is going to be the one that brings your grade up enough to pass. I think it’s just that feeling of this is maybe my last shot,” Valiante said.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also referred to as seasonal depression, “is a type of depression characterized by a recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about 4−5 months out of the year. The signs and symptoms of SAD include those associated with depression,” according to The National Institute of Mental Health.

Some of the symptoms associated with winter Seasonal Affective Disorder include oversleeping, overeating and social withdrawal, which mirrors the feeling of hibernation.

How does the change in season affect student productivity?

According to a study conducted by Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) California State Polytechnic University Pomona, Seasonal Affective Disorder can leave students with feelings of sadness and lack of motivation.

“These symptoms can lead to decreased productivity, missed classes, and difficulties completing assignments or studying for exams. Additionally, the fatigue and disrupted sleep patterns associated with seasonal depression can further impair cognitive functions, affecting memory and decision-making abilities,” the study said.

Jessie Goicoechea, director of clinical training and associative professor of the Rita M. McGinley Psychology Clinic said the correlation does not surprise her.

“I think that sunlight is incredibly important, and our days are short. It’s dark at 4:30 and I think that just … certainly compounds what may already be a stressful time,” Goicoechea said.

Elizabeth Fein, associate professor and chair of the department of psychology, said she believes that environmental factors have a large impact on student’s minds.

“Human beings, like many animals, when it gets colder and darker, our natural tendency is to want to slow down, to want to sleep more and rest more … And unfortunately, we don’t really live in a world that supports that,” Fein said.

Despite the natural tendency to want to slow down, Fein pointed out that society expects people to keep moving and behave the same as they would during the warmer summer months.

“[We] are often in a situation where we have to push ourselves to do things that aren’t totally natural to us in this season, and so the cold and the dark can be depressing for a lot of people. It makes us want to move more slowly. It makes us want to sleep more. And very often, that sort of lowered mood, lower energy and activity level interacting with the demands of things like finals can make life really difficult for people,” she said.

Tips and tricks for finals

To manage test anxiety and stress, Valiante suggests students utilize the resources on campus, including the Union’s new meditation room.

“For students that might benefit from breathing techniques or self guided meditation, that is something that is now readily available to every student,” she said.

Valiante also suggests students practice behavior activation.

“It can be really hard to start something,” she said. “If we can just bring ourselves to do even one thing, it gives us that boost to keep the day going.”

When studying for finals Fein encourages students to work together and to remember they are not going through their stresses alone.

“I think study groups are really, really helpful. I think kind of working together to develop study guides can be really fun and community building, as well as a really good way to learn and to remember and refresh and review,” she said. “I would encourage students as much as possible to share these experiences with each other, work together, study together, blow off steam together, and just do your very best to cherish yourself.”

Despite the cold and snow, she said it is still important to remember the benefits of being outside during final exams.

“This is easy to forget … especially during these darker months, getting sunlight when you can is really great. If you’ve got a long walk to class, rejoice, you are getting sunlight and fresh air, and it is good for your mental health,” Fein said.

Goicoechea said she wants students to remember it’s important to not gauge their self worth on a test grade.

“I was thinking that students would do well to remember to trust themselves going into final exams, trust what they’ve learned so far, trust all the hard work that they’ve put into their courses already, and that it’s also important and helpful for them to remember to manage their expectations that doing well is fine. They don’t have to be perfect. You know that A minus or a B plus is, in the end, as good as an A sometimes,” Goicoechea said.