For Kansas University students, Thanksgiving break is the calm before the storm.

Classes end Dec. 6, followed quickly by the dreaded week of finals, Dec. 10 through Dec. 14.

“We are all stressed as we approach finals week,” Kristin Scott, assistant director of KU Academic Achievement Access Center, said to a group of students Tuesday. “They are worth so much. You want to be your best.”

For some students, performance in the final hour can make or break a semester’s work. About 20 students who appeared to understand the importance of the next two weeks piled into a classroom in Strong Hall on Tuesday for Scott’s free workshop, “How to Study for Finals.”

The group was primarily freshmen. Some had been pressed to attend the session by parents or teachers. Others said they saw announcements for the session and decided to attend.

Scott’s advice extended from what to eat during finals week to how to schedule each day. Her tips to students included:

¢ Know your finals schedule well in advance. KU allows students who have three or more finals scheduled for the same day to adjust their schedules. Students are not obligated to take more than two exams on a single day. But students must notify the appropriate instructors no later than two weeks before Stop Day, which is Dec. 7.

¢ Know whether a final is comprehensive as well as the format of the test and the weight it holds toward the course grade.

¢ Develop a plan for what needs to be studied, study partners, study times and locations.

¢ Get plenty of rest during finals week.

¢ If flashcards have to be made, fill them out well in advance of the test so they could be useful.

¢ Arrive at finals at least 10 minutes early to have enough time to sit and relax.

¢ Take breaks while studying and try to relax.

“I don’t think you can plan enough for finals,” Scott said. “Plan more than enough time to prepare for those finals.”

KU student Elizabeth Santa Cruz had her books cracked open Tuesday afternoon in Anschutz Library. The freshman said she’s preparing for three finals, including tests in math and biology.

She starts her studying early, she said. She has tried to cram for tests in the past, but it didn’t work for her.

“Just cause of the stress levels – you just feel too overwhelmed about it,” she said of cramming. “You just cram it all together and lose the facts. It’s just not worth it.”

KU senior Adam Van Horn has four finals ahead of him. He said he won’t be one of those students who camps out at the library studying late into the night.

“I figure it’s a little late to start learning the material if you haven’t already learned it,” he said. “You can’t really cram it all in the last few days before a test. You need to learn it as you’re going through the semester.”