Abigail Dunagan, Campus Carrier features editor

Cammie Wilks, Campus Carrier asst. features editor

The fall semester is finally winding down to a close, and students are yearning to finish up their classes to head home and enjoy the holiday season. Although winter break is less than two weeks away, students must first overcome the hurdle of finals week. It can seem like final exams, projects and papers just pile up during these last two weeks of school, and it can be difficult to balance taking care of personal, physical and mental health when academics take a front seat. While it is important to finish the semester strong, it is also vital also to prioritize mental health during this difficult season. 

Since everyone is so busy during college, it is easy to feel exhausted at the end of the semester. Many students fall into negative mindsets or form bad habits, which often stem from receiving a bad grade or feeling inadequate compared to their peers. 

Licensed Associate Professional Counselor Connor Pierce is a part of Berry’s Counseling Center staff. One of the things he often preaches to those who meet with him is how college is about more than just being a number. Being a student comes second to being a human.

“You are more than your grades,” Pierce said. “I do understand that finals are important, but I also think that the overidentification with them makes things harder. It is easy to arrive at the thought, ‘I’m a bad person’ from a      bad grade.”

Additionally, it is common for students to feel unmotivated to do assignments at the end of a semester, a feeling referred to as “burnout.” Once students feel this way, it is hard for them to become motivated again, especially when studying for finals week. To combat this feeling, it is recommended by Pierce to stay in touch with a support system and do more besides just study. Another piece of advice given by counselors during finals week is to take a healthy number of breaks. 

According to Coordinator of Student Ministries Gabrielle Roes, who is also an intern at the Counseling Center, Berry students often struggle not to push themselves and don’t really know when they should take time away from studying.

“You will not be able to study for twelve hours straight,” Roes said. “That’s not how our bodies are built. When students are able to set appropriate expectations for what you can do in a given amount of time and take real breaks, I think that in the long haul it will pay off.”

When Roes is not working in the Counseling Center, she is serving in the Chaplain’s office, where pastoral counseling is offered to students who are interested in counseling with an integration of faith. Students can meet with the chaplain or Roes, but they can also meet with other students who are peer ministers. This can provide students with the opportunity to speak to someone who is also in college and can relate to them. Pastoral counseling sessions can be booked by going to the Chaplain Office’s Instagram account. 

The Counseling Center at Berry offers a variety of resources for students’ mental health. Director of the Counseling Center Carley Price said that while the center offers same-day counseling sessions all year, during finals week they increase availability so more students can take advantage of this resource. Same-day counseling sessions 30-minute time slots during the week where students can come in and speak one-on-one with an available counselor. Normally these sessions are open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, but during finals week they add a two hour block in the mornings along with the afternoon. This increases the number of available times from four to six  hours each day, although Price said that the sessions are rarely ever fully scheduled. Since these sessions are limited to 30-minute intervals, the counselors aim to make them as focused as possible for the student. 

Since mental health has generally become more widely accepted over the last few years, it is normal now for colleges to offer mental health resources. Price has been working at Berry for nine years, and she has seen changes in the way mental health is perceived. People are generally more willing to have conversations about it, and they are open to seeking help if they need it. 

“I think across the nation there has been a trend in college student mental health increasing with regard to depression and anxiety,” Price said. “COVID-19 has an impact on that, because everyone was in such a developmentally tender time.”

Outside of utilizing campus resources, there are many ways that a student can prioritize mental health. Rather than studying in long chunks of time, some find it easier to study for small time periods with short breaks in between. In addition, is important to make sure to eat balanced meals and get a full night’s sleep. 

“When it comes to finals season, I think it’s really important to not neglect your physical health as well as your mental health,” Price said.