The Carrier editorial reflects the consensus of the editorial board.

Campus Carrier editorial board

Now that all the turkey has been consumed and the holiday decorations are up, we find ourselves counting down the days until winter break. But before we can pack up and leave, we must endure one final tribulation: finals week. 

For most college students, finals week is the most stressful part of the semester, and this elevated stress can be detrimental to their mental health. A 2014 Higher Education Research Institute study found that by the end of the semester, college students rated their emotional health at 50.7 percent, the lowest number ever recorded. 

Students experience stress during finals week because it represents the last chance to secure good grades in their classes. And according to the same study, 43.6 percent of incoming freshmen want to earn a master’s degree or higher, meaning that their grades on final exams could impact their future. 

CNN of April 18, 2014 reports that many college students use Adderall to help study for finals. Adderall is a medication prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. However, because of its effectiveness as a stimulant, many students use Adderall and other ADHD medications to help perform better during tests. 

Unfortunately, CNN explains that many of the students using ADHD medication do not know how they interact with other drugs, and may not know the dosage. The medication also causes headaches, loss of appetite, and depressed feelings.

Despite these risks, researchers estimate that 30 percent of college students use ADHD medication to enhance academic performance. 

These results show that despite the evidence that the drugs are dangerous, students are willing to  take dangerous risks to survive finals week. 

In order to combat finals week stress, Berry offers a number of activities and events. SGA hosts an annual “Food for Finals” event, which will be on Dec. 6 this year. On Dec. 7, Sunshine Cottage is hosting an event with free drinks and cookies to help students “survive finals.” 

USA Today reported on May 7 that Tulane University keeps their dining hall open late during finals week, and New York University’s health center prepares fun gift bags for students. 

While things like this may be fun and may provide short-term relief from stress, they don’t do much to fix the problem for students who feel driven to dangerous behavior in order to do well. 

Harvard changed their policy to make giving a final exam optional, according to Psychology Today of May 1, 2011. The article explains that final exams prompt students to forget what they have learned after an exam is over, preventing students from maintaining continuity between classes. For this reason, Harvard and other schools have moved away from large final exams. 

While it is unrealistic for Berry to implement drastic changes like this, the fact that institutions like Harvard are placing less value on final exams means that alternatives should be considered in light of the problems that final exams create.